ZimInd Publishers has approached the High Court after a dispute involving 36 of its employees.
The publisher is seeking US$100,000 from the workers over alleged defamatory statements.
ZimInd owns NewsDay, The Standard and the Zimbabwe Independent. Trevor Ncube owns the publishing company.
The company issued summons against the employees on 29 September. The case involves claims of defamation and injuria.
The employees are being sued jointly and severally. Problem Masawi heads the group named in the court papers.
That arrangement allows ZimInd to recover the entire amount from one employee. However, the company cannot recover the same amount twice.
Dispute follows company meeting
The dispute reportedly began during an all-staff meeting held on 5 March 2026.
Ncube chaired the meeting, where employees were allegedly instructed to put away their phones.
However, ZimInd claims several workers ignored that instruction. Instead, they allegedly “remained glued to their mobile gadgets throughout the meeting”.
The company further alleges that employees exchanged messages during Ncube’s address.
According to the declaration, those messages were allegedly shared with journalists and various media organisations.
Some messages were also reportedly posted on social media platforms, including LinkedIn.
ZimInd claims the workers described the company and Ncube as cruel and insensitive.
The publisher also alleges that employees accused it of withholding salaries and monthly dues.
According to the company, the allegations further blamed management for accumulated arrears.
Publisher rejects workers’ allegations
ZimInd has strongly disputed the claims attributed to its employees.
The company maintains that the allegations were false and known to be false.
It also denies withholding salaries or monthly dues from its employees.
Furthermore, ZimInd rejects accusations of cruelty, corruption and negligence.
The publisher is now asking the High Court to award US$100,000 in damages.
The case places the employees and one of Zimbabwe’s prominent media publishers in a legal dispute.
The allegations will ultimately have to be determined through the court process.
The post ZimInd Takes 36 Employees to High Court Over US$100,000 Defamation Claim appeared first on iHarare News.
