In a shocking and revolting act of protest, disgraced Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) CEO Kenias Mafukidze woke up to an unmistakable message smeared on his office door human waste symbolizing the boiling rage of employees pushed to their limits after enduring ten months of unpaid salaries.
AMH, Zimbabwe’s largest independent media powerhouse behind NewsDay, Zimbabwe Independent, The Standard, and Heart and Soul TV, now finds itself caught in a fierce storm of internal rebellion threatening to tear the company apart.
The tension reached a fever pitch after the company wasted over US\$50,000 on a doomed music event at Belgravia Sports Club ,a lavish gamble that spectacularly flopped. For the staff already battling mounting debts and empty bank accounts, this was the last straw.
Desperation has driven employees to seek help from the Zimbabwean Gatekeepers and Workers Union (ZIGAWU), who have repeatedly confronted AMH’s management, demanding a clear and immediate plan to pay the backlogged wages.
But workers say every promise has been broken, every agreement ignored, leaving them feeling betrayed and abandoned.
“We have families, bills, and debts piling up. Yet, every day we drag ourselves to work, wondering if we’ll ever see a cent,” one anonymous employee revealed. “We know the money exists somewhere, but it’s siphoned off to serve the interests of a few while the rest of us suffer.”
Whispers of financial mismanagement swirl through the corridors. Employees accuse senior management of funneling company funds into frivolous and unprofitable ventures, while salaries remain untouched.
“It’s like the money’s being shuffled around, spent on everything but us,” another worker said bitterly. “All we want is honesty and respect.”
Adding fuel to the fire, AMH’s HR chief Jacob Sukali recently jetted off on a fully funded trip to China a glaring symbol of corporate excess amid staff hardship.
Workers claim Sukali has sided with management, allegedly threatening those who dare question the glaring financial discrepancies.
The drama intensified at a tense board meeting at Heart & Soul studios, where some directors demanded answers from Mafukidze about staggering withdrawals from company accounts.
Sources close to the board say Mafukidze stumbled, unable to explain the missing millions.
Concerns also soared over allegations that AMH Chairman Trevor Ncube is diverting large sums for extravagant events that drain the company’s coffers with no return.
“We’ve been pleading for months, but nothing changes,” an exasperated employee said. “It feels like they want us to quit so they don’t have to pay, but without our salaries, we can’t just walk away.”
ZIGAWU has issued a stark ultimatum: pay the workers now or face the consequences.
The fight escalated as ZIGAWU formally served pre-arbitral proceedings on AMH , a legal hammer poised to force the company’s hand.
This move compels AMH to respond swiftly and participate in a dispute-resolution process that could culminate in binding arbitration.
Should AMH stall or refuse a viable payment plan, it risks harsh legal penalties and intensified scrutiny of its labor practices.
At this critical juncture, AMH officials remain silent, leaving the company’s fate , and the livelihoods of its embattled workers hanging in the balance.Kunzima.
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