New ZUJ Elections On The Cards

New ZUJ elections are on the cards following the decision by Foster Dongozi and his illegitimate executive to affidavits in the High Court after the Save ZUJ Campaign approached the courts seeking the nullification of the congressional process in How Mine that saw Dumisani Sibanda being elected president of the union.

Save ZUJ Campaign remains committed to seeing a free and fair election where losers would congratulate the winners. From there on, the union would be a respected organization amongst its partners and membership.

While the Campaign takes cognizance of the fact that this matter is still in the courts, we are going to make statements regarding our reservations on the consenting affidavits after this process has been completed.

ZUJ for ALL journalists  not a FEW individuals 

 

Dongozi and Takaona Accused of Fleecing ZUJ Funds

Former ZUJ president Mathew Takaona and his secretary general Foster Dongozi are refusing to pay a journalist for his services in a donor-funded program although the project money was availed to the union a long time ago, Save ZUJ Campaign can exclusively reveal.

Journalist Maxwell Sibanda has had more than three months demanding payment for his consultancy work on a project wholly funded by IMS but Takaona and Dongozi have refused to honour the agreement. Meanwhile, Sibanda has since confiscated a laptop from the union's headqaurters at Number 57 Central Avenue in protest.

Information at hand show that the funds were embezzled by Dongozi and Takaona who also stand accused by some of the union's employees of abusing fuel coupons and other union funds.

The continuos abuse of resources recently caused Dongozi and Takaona to be summoned by some named donors of the union to explain. The donors have since told them that they are not prepared to inject any resources into the union until a new executive was put in place, prompting Takaona to step down from the presidential race.

Save ZUJ Campaign is saddened by this development and would want to urge the executive-in-waiting to probe Takaona and Dongozi for abuse of office and corruption.

Vote Frank Chikowore for Secretary General

Congress Race Hots Up: The ZUJ We Want

Comrades and friends, 

As we approach the ZUJ congress, as your secretary general-in-waiting, I promise to ensure that all union members are given access to equal opportunities. I also want to ensure that the union is run in a membership driven process.

The union is bigger than an individual and I would want to reiterate that we shall demand a one-man-one vote at the congress.

I also want to ensure that all those who illegally possess properties of the union are held to account.

 I would like to ensure that ZUJ rejoins the family of progressive media organizations other than isolating itself.

I want to prioritize the issue of legal representation of journalists instead of giving the burden to media organizations that do not deal directly with journalists.

I want to ensure that training programs are inclusive and ensure that the secretariat is run in a professional manner.

I want to engage employers so that royalties are paid to photojournalists for repeated use of their images. In this vein, I also want to engage employers so that that full-time and freelance reporters are paid in line with market standards.

I also want to ensure that journalists have unlimited access to the union's resource center at the headquarters. I would want to set up resource centers in all the country's provinces so that journalists can do their work with little or no problems at all.

As the world is changing very fast, your secretary general will ensure that ZUJ is twinned with other unions in developed countries. Under your secretary general's leadership, the rebranded ZUJ will seek to create partnerships that other media organizations, locally and internationally, that seek to promote media freedom and advance the interests of journalists. 

Vote Frank Chikowore for Secretary General

ZUJ Congress 2009 Update

The ZUJ congress has been set for December 4 2009. This day presents us with the opportunity to reclaim our union as professional journalists.

The union that we want should embrace transparency and accountability. ZUJ must be a membership-driven organization that treats its members without favour.  The Union must also exercise its duties in terms of its founding principles and objectives. All programs of the union, including training, must not be discriminatory to members. 

As your secretary general and custodian of the Union, I will ensure that all the business of the Union is done in a transparent manner giving members the power to drive the organization.

As your secretary general, I will work with all members to ensure that we rebrand ZUJ together into a formidable organization that respects its constitution and the membership. As your secretary general, I will push for limited terms of the executive and that all paid-up members are allowed to participate in congress business 

I would also like to take this opportunity to inform all ZUJ members and partners that I will be launching my manifesto next week. Continue watching this space for more details and information 

Vote Frank Chikowore for Secretary General

Takaona Defends ZMC and AIPPA

The former ZUJ president, Mathew Takaona, last Saturday shocked journalists gathering for the annual general meeting of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) in Harare when he defended the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the notorius AIPPA.

The former president, who is ironically eying a post in ZMC, itself a statutory body, also wants a position in VMCZ's board, raising questions of conflict of interest as VMCZ is pushing for self-regulation.

Takaona stunned delegates to the VMCZ meeting when he said the ZMC was an important establishment and heavily supported AIIPA saying it was a good law.

Several newspapers were shut down by the government since the promulgation of AIIPPA in March 2002 and quite a number of journalists were forced into exile, as a result.

It is surprising that the former ZUJ president, whose union has long advocated for self-regulation of journalists, was now calling ZMC a good establishment and AIPPA a good law.

Vote Frank Chikowore for Secretary General 

Chikowore Calls For Takaona Probe

Comrades, we hear that the former ZUJ president (in office illegally) Mathew Takaona is driving a Colt at night because he doesn't want to be seen by fellow union members who are angry with his prolonged stay in office and alleged abuse of the union's resources.

Yours truly, the incoming secretary general, condemns any form of corruption, both proved and yet to be proved.

I must say that a probe of Takaona's executive will be carried out once the new leadership is installed. I also challenge the former president to explain to the union's membership how he acquired the vehicle in question when in fact he is known more for being a ZUJ official than a journalist.  

Vote Frank Chikowore for ZUJ secretary general 

Takaona gatecrashes at Quill Club

The defacto ZUJ leadership yesterday gatecrashed at Quill Club to hold a press conference with representatives of the visiting NUJ of UK at the national press club without informing the local executive. This infuriated management at Ambassador Hotel, which houses the press club. 

It is mere protocol that the club executive is informed of any activities at the club for administrative planning purposes. 

The management later confronted club chairperson Stanley Gama who said he was not aware of the presser. Gama told hotel management that he was busy organising the usual Quill Speak where the Zinasu leadership was expected to be panelists to discuss the crisis in the national students' umbrella body.

Although Takaona's presser went ahead, albeit in the absence of the ambushed executive, several journalists snubbed the conference saying long-time leader of ZUJ was holding office illegitimately. The conference was attended by three genuine journalists and a bunch of Takaona's cronies who are not journalists. 

Takaona breached protocol by failing to liase with the executive and the snubbing clearly means that his days are numbered. Never mind his utterances that he will not contest in the overdue elections, the fight goes to the wire.

I wish to remind the electorate that the Save ZUJ Campaign team will not be hoodwinked into believing that Takaona will not be standing for election in the next polls. If he is serious, he should relinguish power today because his term of office has long expired and he should immediately allow an interim executive to take charge of affairs pending congress.

Aluta Continua

Vote Frank Chikowore for Secretary General