Information minister Kennedy Sakeni has publicly acknowledged the government owned and Patriotic Front controlled Times of Zambia workers have gone two months without pay, clearly exposing its union leaders James Muyanwa and Anthony Mulowa that were recently full of praise for ruling party officials when the issue hit the public.
Sakeni, who was speaking on the round table forum on the eve of World Press Freedom Day that fell on Friday, May 3, said the government was trying to address the problems at the insolvent government institution.
“We are trying to address the problems in the public media at ZNBC, Times of Zambia because they have gone is it two or three months [without pay].”
The public media institutions have suffered strangulation from the PF government after they promised to free them. But barely eight months into office, journalists working for the public media were fired, suppressed and intimidated.
Non-payment of salaries forced close to 270 workers at the Times of Zambia to stage work stoppage in July 2012 pressing for better conditions of service. So far, journalist at Times of Zambia have not received their salaries for March and April but only got their February paycheck last week.
Zambia Reports recently revealed that journalists at Times of Zambia were experiencing serious hardships but compromised union leaders Muyamwa and Mulowa issued a statement when deputy minister of information Mwansa Kapeya visited the institution claiming government will recapitalise the institution.
The two journalists are among the many at the institution that are now surviving off PF handouts. According to Muyamwa and Mulowa, everything was well at Times of Zambia.
This prompted a strong reaction from their colleagues who have nothing to do with PF poor administration of media houses.
“This is the worst union leadership we have ever had. They never consult and they are always doing things in the dark, but at the same time there are many issues that require the attention of the union but the leaders are just quiet. Why are they so quick to start praising the government over a promise? We want money in our pockets and not just statements,” a guard at Times of Zambia said.
Another an employee who spoke on anonymous grounds for fear of being harassed; “We are aware that these are not our true leaders. James Muyanwa and Anthony Mulowa have been meeting secretly and that statement where they are praising the government did not have our blessings. It is just their own selfish wishes. These union leaders are playing the role of cadres. They are cadre journalists who are working against the very interest of the workers who voted for them. Anthony Mulowa and James Muyanwa have their days numbered because it is only during the elections when we shall send them away. In fact, the ZUJ national elections are due but Anthony Mulowa has been refusing to convene the elective council citing the lack of funds. We are tired of their tricks.”
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