Friday, March 29, 2024

Times of Zambia to be liquidated, all 200 workers to lose jobs by June

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A recent Board of Directors for the Times of Zambia resolved to liquidate the newspaper firm, the oldest newspapers entity in the country.

The Board which is a secondment from the Zambia Daily Mail also resolved to sack all the 200 workers.

This has been revealed by the Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA) which is concerned and is ready to stand with the Times Printpak Zambia Limited (TPPZ) workers.

ZIIMA President Jajah Coulibaly said the fate of the workers remains in a dilemma following the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)’s announcement to lay off all the workers by June 2022.

“This heartless and selfish decision that was initiated in the previous PF administration is surprisingly being implemented in the New Dawn Government, a situation that has sent over 200 journalists into panic mode. This is the reason we as a media body may not have kind words for the IDC and the previous regime for the ruthless and cruel manner in which they treated and continue to treat the media fraternity, thereby relegating the profession of journalism,” Mr. Coulibaly said.

“We saw a lot of journalists lose jobs previously and it was during the PF rule that we witnessed unwarranted closure of The Post Newspaper, Prime TV and many revocations of licenses for various media houses. This business should not continue under the ‘New Dawn’ government.”

Mr. Coulibaly said the dissolution of the Times Printpak Zambia limited Board of directors and firing of its entire management in 2019, and buying of all landed properties of TPPZ in 2020 by the IDC were believed to have been made to restructure the Company and to improve its operations, thereby prolonging its life.

“However, less than a year later, a resolution was passed by a ‘wrong’ board (Zambia Daily Mail board) to liquidate TPPZ and send dedicated journalists into poverty. What restructuring is this?”

“Times of Zambia is the country’s oldest newspaper brand that commands a large following and liquidating it over selfish personal interests would be doing away with history and the importance attached to it.

What is more worrying is that the same journalists and other workers being sent on the streets are not being paid fairly. They have been served with redundancy letters, but denied full redundancy package according to the collective agreement that is in force between management and unionized workers.”

He added, “We are concerned with the happenings at TPPZ, as a media body that looks at the welfare of journalists and media houses, especially that the President’s name is being dragged into this issue. IDC is busy telling workers that whatever actions they are taking at Times of Zambia has the blessings of President Hakainde Hichilema when he promised that no media house would be closed under his rule.”

“Your Excellency Sir, come out open on this allegation of you sanctioning the liquidation of TPPZ by IDC to avoid being used as your predecessor was used in many wrong doings without his knowledge. We ask His Excellency the President to come on board and look into this issue which we believe can be reversed and the media house stand on its feet.”

37 COMMENTS

  1. The first question is: Is this entity viable? What are the numbers? The next concern is this: Anzanu have been remaking themselves in the face of shosho media imwe muli ndwiii na ma printing press banu! Nizanu! There is money online banzanga! Asembe by now you could have been selling some of your stories monga anzanu a Diggers! Imwe ndwiiiii! Muzaciona. Sorry to the workers koma mwaziletelela cabe a mambala.

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  2. Editorial policy is what has led to public media houses to struggle financially. I don’t recall when I last got Times or Daily to read.

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  3. EXACTLY AS STATED ABOVE POOR REPORTING VERY BIAS
    INFACT ALL CURRENT NEWS PAPERS ARE SEVERELY LACKING AND NOT WORTH THE MONEY ONE PAYS FOR THEM

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  4. Unfortunately it about time.. you cannot keep bankrolling a loss-making entity with taxpayers money forever. Look at Daily Mail at least its trying to even have a social media presence!!

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  5. The narrative by UPND that all decisions they’re making were initiated by the PF has become an annoying monotony. The largest debtor at Times of Zambia is government. Why can’t they pay what they owe? I advise the workers to also propose a management buyout. They can use their pensions or separation packages as initial payment. Times of Zambia has enough assets to compete on the market, unless the New Damn Government wants to ripoff the assets through a tilted liquidation.

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  6. Deja Vu – there you go again first one posting hastily comments without any thought whatsoever so you think loss making companies should be kept afloat for keeping up appearances. You talk of FTJ times as if you were born yesterday…oblivious to why those companies were closed. What are you going to say if TIMES workers start protesting when their salaries are delayed?

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  7. Ayatollah – even if they paid off Times of Zambia it will still need assistance…the time for paper press is fast disappearing in the UK only pensioners wake up in the morning to buy newspaper..young people simply need to look at their Face-book timelines to see what on current affairs.

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  8. Look Diggers it has weekly to monthly subscription packages and has good investigative content…a lot of people in Zambia and diaspora have subscribed to it…they just need to sort out their payments side whereby you don’t need to send them a WhatsApp message after you send them money via mobile money.

  9. Tarino Orange… you don’t like what I write, don’t read it. What is hastily posted here. Is it not true INDENI has been closed. Since your darling is now goverment come back home instead of enjoying what other people have suffered for.

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  10. DEJA Vu Are you suffering I doubt it ??
    CHAPS LIKE YOU WANTING ASSISTANCE FROM BIRTH TO DEATH AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN
    ONE THING FOR SURE,, WEHICH I THINK YOU QUOTED IN A ROUND ABOUT WAY WAS
    YOU CAN TAKE US AFRICANS OUT OF THE BUSH BUT CANT TAKE THE BUSH OUT OF US
    IF YOU DIDNT QUOTE SUCH I APOLOGISE

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  11. Just give the workers a good package and they go and do other ventures , what you read in Times of Zambia is what you read in Daily mail. I don’t think this entity is a viable business venture. I am even surprised that these media guys are condemning this liquidation , how can you have an entity in perpetual loss making and just treat as a permanent going concern.

  12. That IMF package has alot more negative stuff in store for Zambians hidden from them
    The unfolding of hh’s menace as he dates IMF is notorious on jobs.
    When you signed up hh, you also nodded what he does best privatize and liquidate.
    You don’t mess with IMF money without the hammer of joblessness colliding with you headon.
    All you Zambians, mudzamuziba yesu.
    Ati ayi, limbani amalume, tukababwino kuntanshi! Really?
    He promises 30 thousand jobs plus in the civil service and he will take away 4000 jobs.
    This so you know who to mess with.
    What does loss of jobs entail? What does it feel like?
    2 down, a lot more to go. With impunity. When sovereignty is gone, you got nothing.
    Abamasampo baliibwela bakamba.

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  13. Another loss of local buying power for the city of Ndola. We’re in a transition period as far as the media industry is concerned. Change is turning the world as we have known it upside down.

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  14. “I want to talk about a very different revolution that is taking place right now, quietly sweeping the globe without bloodshed or conflict. Its effects are peaceful, but they will fundamentally alter our world, shatter old assumptions,”

  15. It’s been called the technological or information revolution, and as its emblem, one might take the tiny silicon chip, no bigger than a fingerprint.

  16. Tikki – He did post something along those lines and he expects us to ignore his comments…please ask him to tell us how old he is; if he is under 14 we will ignore his comments. He should take responsibility for his comments not cry like a spoiled toddler when he is quizzed.
    This is not a pen pal or tinder platform.

  17. Nemwine – Times of Zambia was once upon a time the powerhouse of the printing press and publishing but unfortunately our selfish politicians couldn’t let go of it and used it to fight the opposition even The Post feared it at one time and it was the best time to let go.

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  18. Edgar Lungu and his PF killed The Post, a viable newspaper but he remains a hero to the likes of Deja Vu. If u allowed a viable newspaper to go under the tube, why not the ToZ?

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  19. If we were a termite colony we would have not survived.

    “Termites are social insects and live in colonies. Although they vary slightly between species, there are typically three castes in a termite colony. These three castes all work to ensure the ultimate survival of the colony. Of the three castes, soldier termites are responsible for the protection of their colony. Within these termite castes, the soldier is responsible for defending the nest. termite soldiers make up only about two percent of the colony’s members.”

  20. #21 Nemwine I am my own hero. For your information there’s nothing choose among the current crop of politicians. Tell me where I ever told you that Lungu is my hero? Upnd are in power and I will always point out their shortcomings. You made it look so easy during campaigns, didn’t you?

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  21. I think the role of a human being on this earth is to interpret the vast amount of information, not propaganda. If you look at the definition of propaganda Times of Zambia falls in that category and it has stolen many lives.

  22. #13 TIKKI I thought the subject was not me? In any case I don’t suffer. I have sufficient shares in companies. If I feel the need for more money I some. I have houses on rent, I got a good pension. I visit overseas every four years…. Covid19 allowing. Of course my heart suffers when I see people failing to afford food and other basics. I suffer when what I pay people who work for him can’t buy the basic essentials.

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  23. Times of zambia, daily mail and znbc are not viable because they simply parrot government policies without giving us proper news or entertainment . Until they don’t reform and start giving people what they want then they will never be viable.

  24. #8 Tarino Orange, the Times of Zambia doesn’t rely on its printed editions for business. They’ve one of the largest print parks in the country. Editors and managers are just restricted by government. If they’re given space to operate they can keep it going. So a management buyout will be suitable

  25. He says decided by PF government it is all rubbish, you are now in the driving seat why talk about the past.
    This all seems to be the indicators of a failed leadership.
    Closing companies is the best prescription from IMF,
    That is what they did in 1991 they closed all industries created by KK and Zambia has never recovered from the damage.
    Now the headless leaders has called them again.

  26. Bye times; next Post Office then ZNBC. Public money is for social programs to keeping dead companies.

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  27. UPND shouldn’t be saying its PF who decided to close Times Of Zambia. By the way where is HH? Fuel increase, the man is quiet. Now Times of Zambia liquidation, the man is quiet. Can someone arrange ka phone in program for him as he promised. We want to hear from him not from cadres who don’t know that its wrong for an adult to make promises he knew he would not fulfil. Only children talk carelessly. An adult checks through issues before making a promise. Please can we have a phone in program as quickly as possible.

  28. It is long overdue. Infact the Times of Zambia should have closed earlier than the Post Newspaper as they reportedly owe much more than the Post in taxes

  29. This chap blames PF. If the new Dawn knows they are a viable news media, they would have retained them. Firstly they have useless news copied mostly from internet sites which we can also obtain on our own, Secondly the world have evolved and we do not need certain services to acrry on. Its like Banks complaining about mobile money services, things have changed. PF DID WELL TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SHUTTING DOWN THIS USELESS NEWSPAPER.

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