Staff Reporter
Harare- In a showdown that exposes corporate hypocrisy, Trevor Ncube’s ZimInd Publishers has dragged 36 of its own employees to the High Court, demanding an eye-watering US$100,000 in damages over allegations that the newspaper giant failed to fulfill its salary obligations.
The lawsuit filed at the High Court in Harare on 29 September 2026 turns an internal workplace grievance into a bitter six-figure court battle.The irony at the heart of ZimInd’s claim lies in the publisher Trevor Ncube demanding a fortune from the very workforce it reportedly left unpaid, suing them for speaking out against the very non-payment and financial neglect they endured.
According to court filings, ZimInd claims its workers defamed the company and its leadership by telling journalists, media outlets and the public that the firm was “cruel and insensitive.” The workers stand accused of alleging that ZimInd withheld salaries and monthly dues “out of malice and corruption” and that massive salary arrears accumulated due to the “negligence of the Chairman and managers.”
ZimInd flatly denies the claims, declaring to the court that it “is not in arrears, has not withheld monthly dues and has not acted with cruelty or negligence.”
The drama reportedly reached a boiling point during an all-staff address on 5 March 2026, chaired by Ncube.
Despite explicit instructions not to use mobile devices while the chairman spoke, ZimInd alleges employees “remained glued to their mobile gadgets throughout the meeting.” The publisher claims workers used their phones to leak derogatory messages to rival newsrooms, journalists and social media platforms like LinkedIn repeating claims of missed pay to colleagues, family and the public.
In what many view as an aggressive attempt to silence legitimate worker grievances, ZimInd is suing under Roman-Dutch common law principles of defamation and injuria.
On top of the US$100,000 payday, interest and legal fees, the publisher is demanding a public climbdown: an unconditional retraction and apology across the same platforms (including LinkedIn), alongside a permanent interdict banning staff from making further statements about ZimInd or its chairman.
The suit cites all 36 employees jointly and severally, meaning the company intends to extract the full US$100,000 from whichever workers it can , a staggering figure to demand from staff struggling over withheld wages. Cited defendants include Problem Masau, Kudakwashe Calvin Gahadzikwa, Austin Regai Karonga, Lorraine Muromo, Melody Chikono, Evans Mathanda, Silas Nkala, Harriet Chikandiwa, Fortune Mbele, Hilary Maradzika, Naome Mubayiwa, Tinashe Kairiza, and Sydney Kawadza among others.
ZimInd is represented by Magoge Law, while the 36 employees are represented through the Zimbabwe Graphical Workers Union via union representative Mr. Mugari. The defendants have 10 days from service to enter an appearance to defend.
As the matter moves to trial, the media landscape is left watching a spectacle, a publishing house attempting to sue its own workforce for a fortune after failing to meet the basic obligation of paying their salaries on time.
