Abigail Mvududu
Abigail Mvududu is a Zimbabwean journalist and former newsreader at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. She is also a former MDC-T Director of Information and Publicity.
Background
She is married to Eric Mvududu.[1]
Education
Mvududu holds a BSc Honours in Politics and Administration from the University of Zimbabwe and a Masters in Business Administration from the National University of Science and Technology.[1]
Career
She was employed by ZBC on November 1, 1996, on a fixed-term contract which expired on August 31, 2007.
Before the expiry of the contract, ZBC terminated the contract in 2004 under unclear circumstances, resulting in the matter being taken for arbitration.[2]
Whilst at ZBC, Mvududu worked in the reporters’ pool, the newsroom and the current affairs department. She was then appointed Head Radio and Television, a post she held until the time it was abolished in a restructuring exercise.
On December 1, 2011, she took over from William Bango as MDC-T Director of Information and Publicity.[1] Mvududu was part of 100 staff members from various departments who were laid off by the MDC-T amid serious financial problems. She reportedly received an Isuzu single cab vehicle and cash payment equivalent to seven months’ salary as her exit package.[3]
In 2011 she was listed as one of the directors of AB Communications alongside Farai Rwodzi, Supa Mandiwanzira, Bruce Mujeyi, Farai Matsika, Trust Dube, and Pachawo Chipurira.[4]
ZBC Lawsuit
After her contract was terminated in 2004, Mvududu took ZBC Holdings to court. The court ordered the national broadcaster to pay her damages.
ZBC disputed the court's ruling to pay Mvududu in United States dollars arguing that the contract was terminated during the Zimbabwe dollar era and there was no basis for the conversion.
Unfoirtunately for the broadcaster, the court ruled in Mvududu’s favour and ordered it to pay the damages as quantified by the court.
ZBC failed to pay the US$180 000, resulting in Mvududu’s lawyer Charles Kwaramba of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni obtaining a writ of execution.
On July 8 2014, Mvududu attached the property and July 14 was set as the date for removal. But ZBC pleaded hardship, and wrote to Mvududu’s lawyers begging for stay of removal of the attached property.
ZBC offered to pay US$5 000 monthly to Mvududu, while the property remained on attachment. As part of the payment plan, the property would be removed and auctioned if ZBC failed to deposit US$5 000 in Mvududu's account.
Mvududu's lawyers considered the financial challenges ZBC was facing and agreed to the payment plan.
The lawyers insisted that the property may be used, but remained under judicial attachment until payment of the debt in full.
Mvududu attached 12 vehicles, furniture and broadcasting equipment to recover damages to the tune of US$180 000.
A Sinotruck OB Van, Iveco Radio Uplink, 600 HP desktop computers, 200 HP printers, sets of sofas, cameras, television sets and other equipment were attached.
The vehicles attached are a Toyota Land Cruiser V8, Mazda BT50 (x8), a Ford truck and Rhino Cam (x2).[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Never Kadungure, Sacked ZBC journalist joins MDC-T. Nehanda Radio, Published: December 2, 2011, Retrieved: December 19, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Daniel Nemukuyu, ZBC property attached, The Herald, Published: August 7, 2014, Retrieved: december 19, 2020
- ↑ Paidamoyo Muzulu, MDC-T retrenchees get exit package, Nehanda radio, Published: January 4, 2014, Retrieved: december 19, 2020
- ↑ Zimpapers to introduce radio station, The Herald, Published: October 20, 2011, Retrieved: December 19, 2020
