Government has dissolved the boards of directors of Times Printpak Zambia limited and Zambia Daily Mail limited.
Chief Government spokesperson and Information and Broadcasting Services minister Chishimba Kambwili said the two boards have served for nearly three years, which was the mandate they were given.
“As minister mandated to constitute and dissolve the boards of these institutions, I must inform the nation that the tenure of these boards was to end on 24 May, 2015 having been constituted on 24 May 2012,” he said.
Mr Kambwili added that because it takes some time before new members of the boards are screened by security, Government has thought it wise to dissolve the current boards so that security wings are given ample time to scrutinise would-be new members of the boards.
“I, therefore, wish to pay tribute to the outgoing board members for their commendable efforts to oversee operations of the two companies during their tenure,” he said.
The board for Times Printpak Zambia limited comprised the following: Mr Michael Musonda (board chairperson); Engwase Banda-Mwale, Judge Kabazo Chanda (retired); Simon Bota, Eustace Nkandu; Lawrence Moola, Penelope Mapoma, Francis Lwanga (Managing Director) and permanent secretary.
The board for Zambia Daily Mail limited comprised the following: Ms Tamala Kambikambi, Caroline Phiri-Chibbonta, Philimon Songolo, Oliver Kanene, Friday Ng’ona, Bryson Mumba (Managing Director), Famous Kabwe, Exhildah Lumbwe and permanent secretary.
Mr Kambwili said the boards have been committed, innovative and worked tirelessly with their respective managements to ensure the companies are run efficiently and effectively.
“I would also like to announce that Government has terminated the contracts of both managing directors at the two companies. Government, therefore, commends Mr Francis Lwanga and Mr Bryson Mumba, managing directors of the Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail, respectively, for their contributions,” he said.
The minister has since appointed Mr Nebat Mbewe, current deputy managing director at the Zambia Daily Mail to act as managing director and Mr Beston Ng’onga will act as managing director for Times Printpak.
Mr Kambwili said he will ensure that the men and women given the opportunity to run these companies perform to the best of their abilities.
“Their key role is to ensure the citizenry are informed of government’s policies and development agenda. Lest I am misunderstood, the public media should not shy away from their other roles of being the watchdog of society, for that is why the media is referred to as “the fourth estate”.”
Screened by Security! Does the Red Brick have to be involved in appointing people to such lame institutions as The Times and Daily Mail? No wonder these companies never do well.
To assess appointees to boards like those you need Business management experts not ba shu shu shu! In any case now is the opportune time for you Kambwili to sell both newspapers. Taxpayers dont have money to subsidise anything nowadays. After all you have told policemen you wont pay for their water and electricity so who are Times and Daily Mail to continue receiving money from our treasury? SELL THE TIMES AND THE DAILY MAIL NOW!
“Tax Payers”! On which GRZ account do these companies operate? What does govt pay for: is it salaries, or material acquisition?
We don’t know of those, so that firing is useless.
employee people we have opinion of, like MD at Times should be Judge Ngoma. He guarded Sata till death.
Now kambwili can put in his pathetic Fossils, those papers are going to run at a loss as people will shun them.
This is a very strange way of operating. Instead of first identifying the people to man the boards, and then terminating the board, Kambwili thought it wise to first fire the boards, thereby leaving a vacuum. Who does that?
PF i guess………………..
” I must inform the nation that the tenure of these boards was to end on 24 May, 2015 having been constituted on 24 May 2012,”
IF THEY CAME IN ON 24 MAY,2012 THEN THEIR TENURE MUST END TODAY 24 APRIL 2015 BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE CLOCKED 3 SOLID YEARS.
May 24, 2012 to April 24, 2015 is 2years, 11 months and 1 day. May 24, 2012 to May 23, 2015 is exactly 3 years. You may confirm with your fingers if in any doubt.
The leading light of PF intelligentsia and aspiring President of the Nation cannot read calendar nor it can count to 36?!?
I actually don’t understand the relevance of ZNBC, Times of Zambia, and Daily Mail boards. Does Zanis also have a board? Couldn’t these be run by just one board of say five members. By the way, what’s up with security wings “investigating” would-be board members? Oh never mind…they have to be PF and not be linked to the opposition, I get you.
I personally think it’s about time that we privatized these useless papers including ZNBC. I can find buyers for ZNBC easily
Too bad for professionals that have been caught up in this cross-fire!
These newspapers are now faced with competition from private owned newspapers like the post,daily nation and others,gone are the days when people used to read only Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail.Hence they must pull up there socks in publishing the best news ever to keep afloat in the news business.Other wise there revenues will dwindle.The other option why not merge the two govt owned companies and call them Times and Daily Mail of Zambia?
Hope I cn finally b appointed to 1 of thoz boards,otherwise its rough out here
kambwili want to promote is propaganda hence he is eager with his friends to do anything possible to achieve is goal.remember in 2011 we spent sleepless nights to campaign for pf out love of this nation .Today u have brought back the greatest enemy in the midst MMD. just has i campaigned for the great man comrade Sata, I’m willing to spend sleepless nights to ensure that corrupt individuals are gone. Zambians are not fools guys. ukwali isoke takwafwile umuntu 2016 is near.
Some of these jobs! Someone just wakes up and decides to fire you with no cause.
Firstly am not happy that a Eustace is outgoing. Secondly is this a purge of independent thinking, who got ‘too comfortable’, and might be a hinderance in the future? Well don’t take us back in the dark ages or relegate the two print media into irrelevance.
Times MD is barely 2 months in the saddle and already fired! He was already narrowing the salary arrears! What a blow!!! Times WILL NEVER recover. Pity for the brilliant young man!
It’s surprising that the minister is doing both a right and a wrong in one action – he dissolves the boards (a right in my view and I think the law protects and covers him on this one) but I think MD must be employed by the board not the minister. I know some zealots will justify a wrong like this one. In my honest view, only Daily Mail should remain not Times.
‘Famous Kabwe’ ? and some moorons still call such names ati ‘Chipata names’.
Useless newspapers, I only read them to check for jobs adverts and “news from the local courts”
While others are serving in two positions in the same pf government others are being retired before their right time!!!!!! Why has fat kambili decided to dissolve the board of directors of these firms before the end of their contracts? so it is now evident and apparent that the pf officials are creating space for the appointments of their keens? Pf is a destructive bunch of dull rogues and corrupt minded culptits
Under Lonrho, Times Newspapers Zambia Limited and Printpak Zambia Limited were one company headed by General Manager who had business background. Under him were functional heads of department, with Editorial being headed by Editor-in-Chief. That time the company ticked; with newspaper revenue accounting for about 20% of total revenue, and having salaries paid on time, loans, advances and gratuity being incentives, until politics came in to separate and re-merge them, creating the post of Managing Director to be headed by a journalist, which has proved suicidal!!!