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Fungai Lupande Harare Bureau
ALPHA Media Holdings, publishers of NewsDay, The Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard newspaper, yesterday fired an undisclosed number of journalists and other supporting staff using the recent Supreme Court ruling that allows employers to terminate contracts of employment with a three-month notice at will and at anytime.

Although details were still sketchy, sources at NewsDay said the employees, among them journalists and production personnel, started receiving their dismissal letters around lunchtime.

Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) group acting chief executive Vincent Kahiya hung his mobile phone when contacted for comment and afterwards it went unaswered.

The workers were handed dismissal letters which read, “In accordance with provisions of section 12 (4) of the Labour Act, we hereby give you three months notice to terminate your contract of employment.

“You’re hereby directed not to report for work with immediate effect.”

Five days ago, the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, publishers of the Daily News fired 11 journalists and other supporting staff using the same ruling.

The journalists fired were Lloyd Mbiba, Thelma Chikwanha, Margaret Chinowaita, Wendy Muperi, Ray Matikinye, Kudzai Chawafambira, Godfrey Mutimba and Nyasha Chingono.

Sub-editors who were also sacked were Sandra Mtetwa, Lizzy Miller and Albert Masaka.

A letter written to the journalists and signed by general, manager human resources, Vongai Makombe indicated that their contracts as read with section 12(4) of the Labour Act required the company to give them three months notice to terminate their contracts.

Close to 6,000 people have lost their jobs since the Supreme Court ruling on July 17 in which two former Zuva Petroleum managers, Don Nyamande and Kingstone Donga were challenging termination of their contracts under the same circumstances.