By Own Correspondent- Former ICT minister Supa Mandiwanzira’s media empire has been forced to implement tough survival measures as the country’s tanking economy takes its toll on industry and commerce.

Mandiwanzira lost his cabinet post after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory in the disputed July 30 elections.

He was arrested for criminal abuse of office and is currently out of custody on $2,000 bail.

Staff at his AB Communications group claimed Thursday that salaries had been cut by 50 per cent, with the working month reduced to 11 days.

“We had to respond to the worsening economic situation,” a highly-placed insider told a local publication.

“We could have retrenched, but we chose an option which, at least, keeps people at work. This is a temporary three-month arrangement. We are hoping that, in that time, the economy improves.

You have to understand that in the current inclement economic environment, the advertising is one of the activities companies cut-back on in order to survive.

Banks are not going to advertise when they don’t have money to give anyone; just as an oil expressing company will not advertise when it’s not producing any cooking oil.

The official however claimed that most of the staff at the station had understood the situation and had “offered to continue coming to work for the full month, even if they would only be paid for 11 days”.

Group CEO Susan Makore however, denied staff claims that salaries had been cut by half.

She said:

“No salary cuts and, as I speak, we are currently processing January salaries. But, and as you may also know, various companies are implementing austerity measures and our organisation employs largely freelancers and they work as they are needed.”