#MondayBlues: Marandure Resigns As Zimpapers Chief Technology Officer!

#MondayBlues can exclusively confirm that Darlick Marandure the Zimpapers Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and his lieutenant, Godfrey “Chief” Koti have tendered their resignation by end of day Thursday night.

In a matter involving frustration and allegations of misrepresentation, the top technology officers have downed tools respectively, leaving a new hole at the state-run publisher and broadcaster.

By Toneo T Rutsito

Mr. Darlick Marandure is confirmed to have also tendered his resignation days after his acting head of digital services, Chief Koti resignedChief Koti resigned, as politics took its highest toll frustrating the man who had implemented the first ever successful digital strategy for Zimpapers.

Sources close to the developments confirmed Chief Koti had left the corporate side of the stable with immediate effect though information filtered that he would be still running some radio shows at StarFm, even after he severed ties. He was in charge of the Group’s Social Media activities as well acting in the capacity of head of digital services.

 

We could not independently confirm with Darlick Marandure on the position as his phone went unanswered, however, sources close to developments stated that he found greener pastures somewhere and always had plans to leave before.

The move draws Zimpapers to square zero as the digital team continues to suffer due to multiple changes which will not sustain serious policy effectiveness.

The top officers whose stay was short lived at Zimpapers include Itai Gore, Edmund Kudzayi, Delta Ndou and now Chief Koti, and Bepe the GM, who all kissed the Zimpapers stable goodbye after a short stint.

High-level sources state that Darlick Marandure did not have it easy with the Zimpapers editorial policy where the thin line between content management and content creation would always open fissures.

The Daily News, a privately owned media house is still suffering from the same traditional system as they deliberately delay to post anything on the day, anticipating high sales before the digital disruption.

Sources close to the developments had confirmed that Zimpapers was set to change its business direction and will be announcing new structural heads as they introduce three separate business units which are printing, broadcast and digital services.

This move, however, is facing political resistance as the old guard at Herald house see this as a power shift as political powers demand more control to business units.

Marandure is the first ever CTO to run Zimpapers which saw the implementation of their successful digital integration and establishment of mobile platforms to disseminate information.

While he has a strong technological background, Marandure is an acute businessman whom while he was the acting General Manager for the stable, successfully  turned around StarFm in 2014 into to a profitable entity leaving a solid foundation that has sustained the organisation to date.

He went into the newspaper business and demonstrated his versatilities as a guy who can truly run a business operation outside the technological confines.

Although some may easily remember the team for cleaning the old tired look on their websites and introducing mobile apps, the bigger vision was the setting up the new digital framework for the stable. The major move which was in the pipeline was to re-align the state-controlled media house as a diverse entity as they introduce a new system cognizant of the highly digital environment to improve their operational strategy.

Zimpapers chairperson Delma Lupepe said they will continue to drive forward their Digital First Strategy.

“The company continues to push its Digital First Strategy by ensuring that we are embracing the change brought on the media industry by the digital revolution. A good number of our readers have migrated to Digital platforms and it is our mandate to continue providing them with the same quality content they previously enjoyed on our print platforms.

Zimpapers revenue marginally slumped by 6, 3 percent to $37, 6 million in the year ended 31 December 2016 compared to $40, 1 million in the same period last year.