Story by ZBC Reporter
THE Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has dismissed as false an article published in today’s edition of The Zimbabwe Independent claiming that US$52 million collected from license fees is unaccounted for.
In a statement, the Ministry said it notes with serious concern and utter disdain the piece, which is full of unfounded allegations, falsehoods, and malicious insinuations aimed at tarnishing the image of His Excellency the President, Comrade Emmerson Mnangagwa, as well as the Board and management of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
The Ministry stated that the figure is an exaggeration and a complete fabrication, as the actual revenue collected from license fees is nowhere near the thumb-sucked figure of US$52 million.
It added that there has been no Government audit nor a forensic audit on this matter because no evidence of malpractice has ever been presented to warrant one, while the internal auditors at ZBC have not flagged any such irregularity.
The Ministry noted that the Government strongly refutes the highly insulting narrative that His Excellency, the President, reassigned a Minister as a punitive measure for raising governance issues, adding that it is a deliberate distortion of the facts designed to question the wisdom of His Excellency.
It highlighted that reassignment of Ministers is a constitutional and administrative prerogative of the President, exercised in the best interests of the nation’s developmental agenda, and to imply that the President would punish a Minister for uncovering wrongdoing is not only a gross misrepresentation of His Excellency’s character but a reckless attempt to create a false narrative of discord where none exists.
It further noted that it is evident that the Zimbabwe Independent deliberately avoided following basic journalistic ethics and protocol, as the reporter did not engage the ZBC Chief Executive Officer, adding that the newspaper has no evidence that ZBC exceeded its approved expenditure limits.
The Ministry said as the authority responsible for overseeing ZBC, it affirms its commitment to transparency and public accountability and has ensured that ZBC will undergo its regular audit in March this year, with the results set to be tabled before Parliament for scrutiny, in line with established legislative processes.
