MY APPOINTMENT AS ZNBC DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND WITHDRAWAL OF THE SAME.
I received an appointment letter as Director-General of ZNBC, on August 24, 2022.
This was following an interview with a panel of Board members on July 16, which also included the PS Information Mr Kalunga, and a non-Board member Chibamba Kanyama, who said he was on the panel in his capacity as an adviser to the Board.
My appointment letter was signed by the Board Chairperson Mr Jack Kalala and copied to the Minister of Information and Media, Permanent Secretary of the same Ministry, as well as the acting DC – ZNBC, acting Director HR and Admin and Acting Director Finance.
I collected the appointment letter and signed my Contract on August 25, at ZNBC Mass Media Complex, due to start work on 1st September, 2022. I was told that a copy of the contract was to be given to me after the Chairperson had signed all three copies.
I did not hear anything official from ZNBC HR until this afternoon, August 31, when I got a call from someone from the broadcast station saying they had a letter to hand-deliver to me at home. I have received a letter of withdrawal of my appointment as ZNBC Director-General, dated August 30, 2022, signed by the Board Chair with the same individuals copied in as those in the appointment letter.
Reasons given for the withdrawal are stated as “it has been necessitated by non-compliance with the Law on certain aspects of the recruitment process.”
I am perplexed and disappointed, but nonetheless thankful to the Board of Directors for the confidence vested in me, which I strongly believe was based on merit, factored by my solid CV and performance in the three-and-a-half hour interview on July 16.
I am grateful for the opportunity, although it came to nothing.
It is sad that my name has been dragged to the gutters on social media, mainly by those who opposed my appointment. It was not necessary.
As a journalist, born from a family of journalists, I am passionate about media development and keen on improving the standards and quality of journalism not only in Zambia, but in Africa as well. I will continue to strive to do so, for after all this is all I ever wanted to do from my childhood, and it is what I will die doing.
Thank you.
Maureen Nkandu
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