Disgraced Alpha Media Holdings chief executive Kenias Mafukidze woke up to poo on his office door as tension between management and employees mounts over ten months unpaid salaries.
AMH is the country’s biggest independent media house and it publishes the NewsDay, Zimbabwe Independent, The Standard and online television Heart and Soul.
The tension was heightened when the company poured in over US$50 000 for a music show which flopped spectacularly at Belgravia Sports Club.
According to employees, the company’s debt has continued to grow, prompting staff to seek intervention from ZIGAWU.
ZIGAWU, which is representing the affected workers, has held multiple meetings with Alpha Media management in an effort to secure a concrete payment plan.
However, union officials and employees say the company has failed to honour agreements previously reached, leaving workers increasingly frustrated.
One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We have families, responsibilities, and debts, yet we are expected to come to work every day without any assurance of when we will be paid.
We know the money is there but they prefer to serve their own priorities over us the workers who are coming to work everyday.”
Employees allege that the deterioration of the organisation’s financial position is linked to misappropriation of funds and poor prioritisation, despite internal claims that resources have been flowing into the business.
Staff members say funds have repeatedly been diverted to non-business activities that do not generate revenue or get reimbursed.
Another worker added:“It feels like money is being moved around for everything else except salaries. We just want transparency and respect.”
Concerns have also been raised over management conduct.
The company’s human resources executive, Jacob Sukali, recently travelled to China on what employees claim was a fully funded trip using company resources at a time when workers remain unpaid.
Staff members say Sukali has taken a stance aligned with the employer and has reportedly issued threats to employees who question financial irregularities.
At a recent board meeting held at Heart & Soul studios, some board members reportedly demanded explanations over large sums of money allegedly being withdrawn from company accounts by the CEO Kenias Mafukidze.
According to individuals close to the matter, Mafukidze could not provide clarity on how the funds were used.
Board members also raised concerns over allegations that Amh Chairman Trevor Ncube is taking significant amounts from the company accounts for events that do not yield returns, worsening the organisation’s financial strain.
Another employee commented:
“We have raised our concerns for months, but nothing changes. At this point, we are just asking for the salaries we have worked for. They are just frustrating us so that we leave, but we can not go anywhere without our money.”
ZIGAWU again approached the company seeking either immediate salary payments or a binding, transparent plan.
The union said it is prepared to escalate the matter should the employer fail to present a credible solution.
Here is a neutral, hard-news style paragraph explaining that pre-arbitral proceedings have already been served and what that implies for AMH, without presenting any unverified allegations as fact:
Pre-arbitral proceedings have now been formally served on Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) by ZIGAWU, marking a significant escalation in the salary dispute.
This step legally compels AMH to respond within a defined timeframe and participate in a structured dispute-resolution process.
If the company fails to engage or provide a satisfactory payment plan, the matter will automatically proceed to full arbitration, where a binding ruling can be issued against the employer.
For AMH, this means increased legal pressure, potential financial penalties, and heightened scrutiny over its labour practices.
Alpha Media officials were not immediately available for comment.
