By Staff Reporter
The Zimbabwe Council of Copyrights (ZICCO) has come under renewed scrutiny after its Chief Executive Officer, Tafadzwa Masembura, was accused of corruption by former co-director and partner, Dickson Nhema.
Speaking at a press conference held in Harare on Tuesday afternoon, Nhema levelled serious allegations against Masembura, including embezzlement of funds and breach of a prior agreement that would have seen Nhema take over the leadership of the organisation two years after its formation.
“My aim is to root out corruption within ZICCO, particularly those who steal from musicians and employees for personal gain,” Nhema stated. “It pains me deeply that some of the very people with whom we founded the organisation have not received payment for their work.
“Those who remained in the organisation were placed on a three-month probation. However, at the end of that period, they were handed another three months—only to be dismissed in the end.”
Nhema’s revelations have surfaced amid growing concerns about ZICCO’s operations and the legitimacy of its registration, particularly within a local industry where experts argue Zimbabwe is too small to accommodate more than one Collective Management Organisation (CMO). The proliferation of multiple CMOs, they say, risks inefficiency in royalty collection and distribution due to poor regulatory oversight.
The latest exposé comes at a time when ZICCO is already under pressure over its membership practices and the subsequent allocation of royalties to musicians.
“Masembura was responsible for my arrest, although I was ultimately acquitted,” Nhema continued. “I have since written to the board requesting an audience, but instead, I was dismissed. I strongly question the way my removal was handled.”
Nhema went on to allege that Masembura had diverted royalties for personal use, including school fees for his children, and had used financial resources to circumvent restrictions placed on him by other institutions.
“I recall that Masembura was blacklisted by the Post Office, and we encountered significant challenges opening a bank account. Nevertheless, he used funds to work his way around it. I believe the time has come to expose him.”
In an even more serious allegation, Nhema accused Masembura of forging the signature of popular musician Mark Ngwazi to falsely claim him as a member of ZICCO.
“Ngwazi himself confirmed that he has never even visited ZICCO’s offices. It is evident that Masembura is working in collusion with his wife, who is both a signatory and witness to the forged membership documents. This is forgery, and he must be held to account,” he concluded.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Masembura were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
