Veteran broadcaster, who is also an artist, Eliza Kachale Kaunda emerged victorious in a court case stemming from her improper dismissal from the state broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).
During the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) governance under Peter Mutharika in 2019, Kaunda was dismissed from her job at the state broadcaster MBC, with the administration claiming her freelance jingle work created a perceived conflict of interest.
Challenging the decision, Kaunda filed a lawsuit against MBC, alleging wrongful termination which the court on Tuesday issued a ruling siding with the plaintiff.
Kaunda believes the termination was politically motivated, though it was portrayed as a conflict of interest matter, as the firm had ceased having any dedicated jingle production facilities by then.
Kaunda maintained that the jingle creation work she was doing was not a recent development, but rather something she had been involved in even before joining MBC in 1997, and which she had continued throughout her employment at the state broadcaster until she was ultimately fired.
“MBC recognized me due to the engaging jingles I had previously produced. When they gave me an employment opportunity as a sound engineer, I was undertaking that jingle work privately as a freelancer,” she stated.
She further said, “I maintained the independent jingle work up until I was promoted to Principal Sales and Marketing Executive, as I recognized the importance of having a supplementary income to handle daily necessities,”
Reportedly, the lawyer asserted that the MBC’s evidence confirmed it did not have the studio facilities needed to produce jingles. The judge then ruled that Kaunda’s firing was unlawful
With the court’s ruling in her favour, the path forward appears promising as Kaunda seeks to have the court determine the appropriate compensation amount.
