Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, Gideon Gono has demanded back close to 21 vehicles he leased to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) for the coverage of the 2008 general
elections.

Sources at ZBC said Gono last month wrote to the corporation’s management requesting that the vehicles be returned to the Central Bank given that election coverage was over.

ZBC had, prior to the elections, failed to cover some rallies, which were addressed by President Robert Mugabe alongside a host of other Zanu PF officials in various parts of the country where it runs bureaus, owing to shortage of vehicle.

The sources said management was in a panic following the request for the return of the vehicles as this could bring the newsgathering activities at the state broadcaster back to its knees.

“Gono wrote to the ZBC board last month demanding that his cars be returned to the bank because they had served their purpose. All the bureaus had been allocated vehicles from the RBZ fleet and the demand leaves the organization in a precarious position,” said the source.

Radio VOP understands that Gono was angered by the prohibition imposed on RBZ’s live broadcasts of the monetary policy statements as well as other events.

It is understood that Gono wanted a two-way relationship where he would not be charged for live broadcasts and would in-turn, subsidize ZBC through vehicle schemes and other loans.

ZBC management, however, has insisted that the Reserve Bank should pay for the broadcasts being subsidized by the bank.

The ZBC management said there was a crisis at the company as workers were still to be paid their July salaries, owing to poor cash flow.

“If Gono manages to pull out as he is threatening, then there could be a serious problem that would need government intervention through extensive funding of the corporation’s operations,” a source said.

No comment could be obtained from ZBC management.

VOP