Former workers of the liquidated Post Newspapers have appealed to President Edgar Lungu to pay them their monies before the August 12th elections.
In a letter addressed to Liquidator Lewis Mosho, the ex workers through a Committee formed to represent them, the workers want President Lungu to pay them their benefits before elections,
The workers have also revealed that 28 of their colleagues have since died without getting their benefits.
“Since Mr Mosho went to the media to inform the public about his initial payments, we have also decided to use the media to inform the government and the nation that he has not honoured met his obligation to former Post Newspaper employees- this exercise to the full,” read part of the letter.
“We wish to also state here that since 2016 when the company was closed, 28 of our colleagues have since died without getting a ngwee from the money they worked for. While those behind the closure of the company benefitted in all sorts of ways, we have been suffering the last five years, with no meaningful income. We, therefore, ask President Edgar Lungu, whose government sent us on the streets, to order Mr Mosho to pay us. We have every reason to believe that money is there to pay us because most of the valuable assets of The Post were sold immediately after the closure. Alternatively, let the government source money to pay us before elections.”
Below is the full letter
POST NEWSPAPERS LIMITED (IN LIQUIDATION)
MEDIA STATEMENT FROM FORMER EMPLOYEES
On June 21, 2016, the government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), closed the company we worked for -The Post Newspaper. Thereafter, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) appointed Lusaka lawyer Mr Lewis Chisanga Mosho from Lewis Nathan Advocates as liquidator of Post Newspapers Limited. Immediately, Mr Mosho embarked on an exercise to sell all the major assets of the company, including the head office properties situated at Plot 36 Bwinjimfumu Road in Rhodes Park, Lusaka. The Post had other offices and properties in all the provincial centres.
Sometime in 2020, we appointed a committee from among ourselves that would represent us in engagements with Mr Mosho over our money. This was after we had our first meeting with Mr Mosho at his office. After about two meetings with the committee, between August and November 2020, Mr Mosho paid some of our colleagues who were in the lowest grade as was proposed to him by the committee. It must be mentioned here that these were small amounts as prescribed under the liquidation law, which does not favour employees at all. While this was happening, Mr Mosho published in the Daily Nation newspaper that he had started paying former Post employees. He promised to pay the rest before December 25, 2020. Thereafter, the story changed, he moved the deadline to February, 2021 month end. Later, we were promised to be paid by March, 2021 month end.
Eventually, Mr Mosho stopped cooperating with the committee whenever they sought meetings with him. Mr Mosho has avoided meetings with the committee since January this year. His perpetual explanation has been that he was still looking for buyers of a few remaining Post assets located in the industrial area of Lusaka. And this is the money from which he was expecting to pay the rest of us. What is most annoying and unfortunate is that a company like Stewart Investments, which has occupied The Post offices on Lumumba Road since 2017, has been operating for free. The company does not even pay rentals for occupying the property.
Since Mr Mosho went to the media to inform the public about his initial payments, we have also decided to use the media to inform the government and the nation that he has not honoured met his obligation to former Post Newspaper employees- this exercise to the full. We wish to also state here that since 2016 when the company was closed, 28 of our colleagues have since died without getting a ngwee from the money they worked for. While those behind the closure of the company benefitted in all sorts of ways, we have been suffering the last five years, with no meaningful income. We, therefore, ask President Edgar Lungu, whose government sent us on the streets, to order Mr Mosho to pay us. We have every reason to believe that money is there to pay us because most of the valuable assets of The Post were sold immediately after the closure. Alternatively, let the government source money to pay us before elections.
Signed:
COMMITTEE REPRESENTING FORMER POST NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEES
Sent from my iPhone
WELL SAID PUSH NOW AND NOW
Mosho has collected all the money for himself as liquidators fees. Neither the former employees nor zra is going to get anything. All this was just a sham.
MONEY FROM PF GOVT OR MOSHO DURING THIS ELECTION FEVER TIME? SOLLY.
There is only one language such people would listen to: drive it using political avenues or sue Mosho
Iam not a PF supporter but I think it is wrong to state that government sent post staff to the streets, It was Fred Mmembe who sent workers to the streets because he wasn’t paying tax. The workers must petition his Socialist party to pay them before he stands for elections in two weeks time
Iam not a PF supporter but I think it is wrong to state that government sent post staff to the streets, It was Fred Mmembe who sent workers to the streets because he wasn’t paying tax. The workers must petition his Socialist party to pay them before he stands for elections in two weeks time
I am not a PF supporter but I think it is wrong to state that government sent post staff to the streets, It was Fred Mmembe who sent workers to the streets because he wasn’t paying tax. This after his alliance with the PF. The workers must petition Fred’s Socialist party to pay them before he stands for elections in two weeks time
If Fred M’membe doesn’t step forward to pay those benefits immediately, he should be banned from taking part in the elections!
How did PF government send post workers to the streets when it was Mmembe who was stealing tax payers money
Fred gay mmeembe is the one who owes you. The so called socialist is living like royalty while you the ones who made him rich are gallavanting like lost cows
The onus is on Lewis Mwisho and the PF government to honour the agreements. Pay these former employees what is due to them, assuming you have sold and collected the monies. If anything they should be the first to receive payments before the Inland Revenue collects what is due to the government. These people have families to look after. Frankly by now the money owed to them is extremely of less value today, due to the kwacha falling down.
But where’s the money to gotten after selling off the assets?
Fred Mmembe did not care about his employees. Had he been paying taxes which led to the government grab his media empire, these people would not be suffering today. He bankrolled The Post transferred the profits and pension funds abroad. Then he rushed to form an airline which collapsed, again on borrowed money. Today, Mmembe says he is the best person to be President and run national affairs using his Socialist Agenda. What a load of B*S.
Unfortunately workers are at the bottom of the pile when it comes to people that need to paid after a company is liquated ….Fred is the one you should be chasing..he never paid taxes and transferred everything to his wife when he saw the wolves coming….today he has a limitless budget to fund his bogus socialist ideology
My comment is awaiting moderation
It’s important to understand the consequences of one’s actions before you embark to do anything. The former The Post Newspaper workers should have understood that the Liquidation Law doesn’t favor workers and they have taken the example of what happened to UBZ. They were at the center of the instigation to liquidate The Post. It’s not the responsibility of the liquidator to pay separation packages for employees. The liquidator goes to recover money owed to external creditors and employees don’t make that list. So they’re knocking on the door that closed and keys long lost.
That’s correct Ayatollah. In any corporate liquidation, the battle to be paid first is between secured creditors and preferential creditors. Secured creditors are normally financial lenders to the company in liquidation and hold security deeds itemising which assets secure their loans. Preferential creditors are state institutions such as ZRA who are owed taxes. Employees rank after these two in any liquidation unless preferential creditors accept to surbodinate their claims to employees as government has done in some liquidations. So u’re on firm ground in your posting.
There will be a debt swap after three months…
Perhaps former Post workers were equating themselves to KCM. The mine has had several owners. ZCCM, ANGLO and VEDANTA. When workers transitioned from ZCCM to Anglo, their pension was kept in US Dollars in Trust. On liquidation, government still had money for workers who were treated as secure preferential employees. Therein lies some differences between Post and KCM.
The mine is still profitable to date. While government may look for money for POST, it does not mean it is under obligation. Mmembe is not Post; liabilities can’t jump to Fred or SP.
Before you comment, please acquaint yourself with the law on liquidation and administration of companies in distress. How does PF and ECL come into the picture. Ask Mmembe where he was taking their money to.