Journalists go without year’s pay at Livingstonia, Dinosaur radios

Journalists at some media houses in the northern region are surviving through the hardest means as their employers take a while, sometimes up to a year, for them to honour their dues, Nyasa Times  has established.

Our findings indicate that, for instance, Voice of Livingstonia, popularly known as VOL, under the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia, has had its workers working for nine months without receiving their salaries.

VOL which started in 2013, has 28 employees.

Journalists and several other workers who spoke to us under the condition of anonymity said the media house has only been giving them “a small token for house rent” since April 2019.

“It is not only disappointing but also demotivating,” said one of the reporters.

She added: “”Since April last year, we have not been receiving our monthly salary. Instead, they just give us a small token for house rent. We are struggling to buy basic needs including food. Sometimes we have to survive from relatives and friends. But must we be doing that?”

According to her, they have been lodging numerous complaints to their bosses but to no avail.

“The development has been affecting our day-to-day lives, including our performance as we are unable to support ourselves as we did before,” she said.

The journalists have since threatened to down tools should management fail to pay them beginning “January end.”

Said another reporter: “Enough is enough. We are tired of this.”

Despite being issued a questionnaire from Nyasa Times, Livingstonia Synod deputy secretary general who is also head of human resource, Reverend Joseph Mwale, denied to comment on the matter but, rather referred us to VOL director, Jacob Nkhambule.

Nkhambule’s phone could not be reached after several attempts as went online.

In similar circumstances, Nyasa Times has learnt, Dinosaur FM Radio in Karonga has also been running with the institution failing to honour journalists’ arrears for months.

And, last year, Tigawane Radio, under the Diocese of Mzuzu of the Catholic Church, fired  some of its journalists for holding protests whose aim was to force management to increase their K20 000 monthly salaries.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!