Zanu PF youth leader appointed acting ZBC CEO, acting head of news removed

HARARE
–
The
ZBC
on
Tuesday
appointed
a
Zanu
PF
youth
leader
from
Masvingo
as
acting
CEO
in
a
hasty
re-organisation
allegedly
ordered
by
the
ministry
of
information.

Charles
Munganasa,
a
ZBC
board
member
who
is
also
the
Zanu
PF
secretary
for
administration
in
the
Masvingo
Zanu
PF
youth
league,
will
perform
the
dual
roles
until
a
substantive
CEO
is
appointed.

He
replaces
Assael
Machakata,
the
ZBC
finance
director
who
has
been
acting
CEO
since
February
following
the
suspension
of
Adelaide
Chikunguru.

Meanwhile,
Jackie
Gwemende,
who
was
appointed
as
acting
head
of
news
and
current
affairs
just
last
month
has
been
abruptly
removed
and
replaced
with
Merit
Munzwembiri,
who
will
also
be
acting.

No
reasons
were
provided
for
the
changes.

The
decision
to
make
a
Zanu
PF
official
the
face
of
the
public
broadcaster
–
which
has
failed
to
shed
the
tag
that
it
is
a
Zanu
PF
mouthpiece
–
will
fuel
fresh
controversy,
especially
after
the
government
announced
plans
to
raise
US$100
million
for
the
ZBC
annually
by
making
it
mandatory
for
all
motorists
to
pay
a
US$92
annual
licence
fee
for
car
radios.

The
latest
changes
at
ZBC
were
ordered
by
the
ministry
of
information,
which
maintains
a
tight
grip
on
the
state
broadcaster,
according
to
people
familiar
with
the
matter.