President Muntharika fails to pay journalists at Guardian Newspaper

A Zimbabwean journalist swore and threatened a manager demanding to be paid his money by a Malawian newspaper, owned by President Bingu wa Mutharika.

Alban Masola, confronted acting human resource manager, Zilannie Gondwe Nyundo, demanding to be paid his dues. The paper, The Guardian, which was Bingu’s campaign tool was closed recently. Masola said he wanted his money because he wanted to go back to Zimbabwe.

“Masora was supposed to go back to Zimbabwe soon after the closure but has been waiting all along. With nothing on the table, he came to the office swearing at Nyundo.

“Nyundo gave him (Masora) K5000 from her own pocket and pleaded with him to be patient. After some few of us who have remained (accountants and drivers) talked to him, he swallowed his pride and went home,” a source told Face Of Malawi.

It is not known when he will get the rest of his money.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the disgruntled employees said they were promised by the that they will get their dues in two weeks time but now it is over a month as they keep waiting for President Mutharika to the release their money.

“Nyundo told us, when she was communicating to us about the paper is folding, that we should not worry assuring us that we will get our money within a period of two weeks saying all the due transaction process was completed and they were just waiting for the president to release the money, said the source.

“She promised us we would get our money in no later than two weeks because the news of the newspaper’s closure caught every employee unaware and therefore it wouldn’t be fair not to pay in good time as that would have serious financial consequences on our part,” added the source.

According to the source, the newspaper’s management paid the employees salaries of January 2012 because they were told, “they were still regarded as employees since they are not yet given letter of termination of their contracts.”

“After that payment, Nyundo and company started playing hide and seek. When contacted, they told some of our friends that they are failing to act since they are also no longer working for the paper.