Former ZBC bosses face fresh criminal charges

Former ZBC bosses will have to answer to fresh charges of criminal abuse of office. The trio consisting of former CEO Patrick Mavhura, former director Human resources and Finance Ms Benania Shumba and former manager Human resources and Finance Stephen Kundishora. They appeared before magistrate Hosea Mujaya and were each granted 1500 rtgs bail. They had already surrendered their traveling documents on their other pending cases.

Allegations are that in 2018, Shumba wrote a letter to the then CEO, Mavhura requesting approval to purchase her personal vehicle, a Mazda BT50. A board of survey should have been constituted to achieve maximum financial return for the disposal of the car but it was not done. Furthermore Mavhura authorised the purchase of the car at a net value of zero! Kundishora authorised the change of ownership of the car into Shumba’s name.

ZBC has been struggling with maladmnistration for decades. Several rogue elements have been running the organization to the ground with the institution even failing to pay its workers on time. The national broadcaster can barely run its operations and minister of Information and publicity Monica Mutsvangwa recently announced that the organization was in desperate need of a government grant for sustenance. Several personalities such as Happison Muchechetere have been nabbed in the past for swindling the organization but the string of maladminstrators continues to widen.

Mavhura and his accomplices will return to court on 25 November. Most people have been commending the Zimbabwe anti corruption commission for nabbing corrupt practices and the perpetrators. People have however said in there must be accountability and penalties for such people intstead of the seemingly catch and release policy.