A Zambian news presenter lost his cool and demanded his unpaid salary during a live news broadcast on Saturday night.
The news anchor for Zambian KBN TV, Kabinda Kalimina, initially gave a roundup of the top stories and then he went off-script and demanded his salary and the salaries of his colleagues who were not paid for their work.
“Away from the news, ladies and gentlemen, we are human beings. We have to get paid. Unfortunately, on KBN we haven’t been paid. People are getting instruments on KBN…Sharon and everyone else haven’t been paid, including myself. We have to get paid,” Kalimina said in a video clip of the broadcast that is doing rounds on social media.
Condemning Kalimina’s actions, the channel issued a statement and claimed Kalimina’s rant as “drunken behaviour”. The television station also claimed that Kalimina is a part-time newscaster.
According to the statement which was signed by Kennedy Mambwe, the owner and chief executive officer of KBN TV, the organization has a “well-established grievance procedures” through which employees of the channel can register their complaints.
However, the statement did not clarify if the channel had or hadn’t paid it’s staff salary.
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“As KBN TV, we are appalled with the drunken behaviour exhibited through a video clip that has gone viral on social media and staged by one of our part-time presenters during what should have been the main news bulletin last night. As a young television station, we work with a very highly talented and professional team, with a noble character and we owe the success of unbroken broadcasting for the last two years to such gallant men and women. Members of the public may wish to know that KBN TV like any other institution, has very well-established grievance procedures for all members of staff through which they can channel their complaints.
The statement added that the management was looking into the matter and that anyone who had helped Kalimina in his stunt would face disciplinary action.
“As management, we are carrying out investigations to determine how a drunken part-time presenter found himself on air unabated and disciplinary action will be taken against anyone who may have been party to the scheme.”
