authoring an online publication exposing corruption and rampant mismanagement at the Zimpapers branch here.
According to highly placed sources at the branch, Wellington Toni, the Sunday News Sports Editor, was suspended by the branchs general manager, Sithembile Ncube. The editor is being accused of writing a damming article in the Zimbabwe Eye Online (Zim Eye), a UK-based publication.
After the article appeared in Zim Eye, management was suspicious that the malicious story had originated from the branch and they immediately instructed the Information and Technology (IT) guys to trace the originality of the story in the computer system. The story was found to have originated from Tonis computer in his office and this is how he was suspended, said a journalist at the branch who refused to be named for fear of victimization.
When asked about the story, Toni denied writing the story, arguing that he shared the computer with other journalists.
It is very difficult to say that the report in the Zim Eye was written by Toni because we share computers in the newsroom and someone might have been malicious and possibly filed the story from his office. Moreover the office is not locked and is just a cubical, said another journalist.
When contacted for comment Ncube said: Sorry I can’t saying anything about that case, its going for hearing.
Bhekimpilo Ncube, the former editor of Umthunywa, a local vernacular Bulawayo based publication, was last year suspended and subsequently dismissed from work over allegations of writing for online publications. He was suspended after members of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) intercepted his e-mails.
Ncube is still fighting his case in the courts. A number of journalists from the state media are moonlighting for online publications using pseudonyms as a way of supplementing their meagre salaries. Toni could not be reached for comment.
Post published in: News