Zimbabwe Information Minister Tichaona Jokonya has restructured the state broadcaster in an apparent bid to wipe out changes made by his controversial predecessor Jonathan Moyo, according to reports on Wednesday.
Jokonya, who replaced Moyo last year, told a press conference that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) would have a new board of directors, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.
The nine companies formed when Moyo unbundled what was then the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) have been dissolved and merged into just two entities, Zimbabwe Television Services and Radio Services, said the daily.
Moyo, a former university professor, gained international notoriety during his time in President Robert Mugabe’s Cabinet when he crafted tough press laws outlawing the publication of falsehoods and made it a crime for reporters to work without a licence.
He supported Mugabe’s view that Zimbabwe was under a Western media siege, and appeared to be one of the president’s most trusted lieutenants. But then Moyo fell from grace in late 2004 when he threw his weight behind political heavyweight Emmerson Mnangagwa for the next vice-president, instead of Joyce Mujuru who turned out to be Mugabe’s choice.
Moyo was ousted from government and went on to stand and win as an independent candidate in parliamentary elections in March 2005. He has since become a vocal critic of the government.
Jokonya hinted that the restructuring of the public broadcaster could see some job losses.
But he promised reporters that he would look into their grievances over poor pay.
A parliamentary committee recently found that some journalists for state-run media here were paid as little as Zim$6-million ($60) per month.
Zimbabwe’s Poverty Datum Line now stands at Zim$52-million ($520) a month as people battle to survive soaring inflation of nearly 1 200%. – Sapa-DPA