By HRH Princess Eugene
Birmingham, UK (News Of The South) – The upcoming Zim Achievers Awards in Birmingham are facing a storm of controversy following serious allegations of unfair treatment and lack of transparency raised by a nominee. The dispute has ignited a public relations crisis for the awards organization, raising questions about the integrity of the event and its impact on the Zimbabwean community it seeks to honor.
The controversy centers on nominee Martin Chitsa, widely known as “Mr. Smooth,” who has voiced significant concerns about the handling of his nomination in the “Male Personality of the Year” category. Mr. Smooth alleges a series of discrepancies, including:
Incorrect name on voting lists: His name was listed as “Martin Chitsa” instead of “Mr. Smooth,” potentially disenfranchising his supporters.
Mismatched promotional material: A flyer identified him as an “attendee” rather than a “nominee,” a mistake not made for other nominees.
Missing profile: His profile was not published on the Zim Achievers Awards website, unlike those of his fellow nominees. Lack of notification: Mr Smooth alleges he was not officially notified of his nomination by Zim Achievers. These issues, Mr Smooth claims, have significantly disadvantaged him in the voting process and cast a shadow over the fairness of the awards.
In response to News of the South’s coverage of Mr. Smooth’s complaints, Zim Achievers boss Conrad Mwanza contacted the publication to express his dissatisfaction. During a phone call on Monday, Mwanza questioned the Editor-in-Chief’s Journalistic skills for publishing the article without first seeking the Zim Achievers’ side of the story.
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News of the South’s Editor-in-Chief told Mwanza that they were satisfied with the evidence provided by Mr. Smooth, which revealed “a lot of discrepancies” and “some kind of strange discrimination” that was “unexplainable.”
Mwanza accused News of the South of seeking attention, similar to Mr. Smooth, a claim the Editor-in-Chief denied. Mwanza further accused the publication of attempting to “decampaign” the event. The Editor-in-Chief countered by stating, “Why would we be decampaigning the event when we are also attending?”
The conversation escalated, with Mwanza allegedly telling the Editor-in-Chief, “You are not welcome because you have published something negative about our event, and maybe some people who had planned to come will not come.”
The Editor-in-Chief responded that people who planned to attend the event had their own reasons, unrelated to the alleged discrimination against Mr. Smooth. Despite Mwanza’s insistence that the Editor-in-Chief was no longer welcome as a friend, the Editor-in-Chief maintained that their intention was to offer constructive criticism.
“As a friend, I am trying to help you by giving you constructive criticism which you need to address as event hosts,” the Editor-in-Chief stated, emphasizing the principles of public relations. “The best you can do as Zim Achievers is acknowledge there is a problem and give assurance it’s finally being sorted. That’s the art of public relations.”
News of The South has advised Zim Achievers to prioritize public relations and resolve the issues. The publication has a longstanding relationship with Zim Achievers, spanning over a decade, and has consistently supported the UK event, including providing constructive criticism.
The Zim Achievers Awards have faced controversies in the past, with sponsors reportedly withdrawing support on several occasions. Ironically, Conrad Mwanza had previously expressed admiration for News of the South, even attempting to purchase the publication some years ago.
Conrad Mwanza who hosts this event in other parts of the world including Zimbabwe, Australia Canada, USA should know better about how public events are handled when there is a crisis one wonders if he even has a Public Relations Department to handle such issues. Mwanza appears to have forgotten the role of the media. Mwanza went on to say he had stepped away from Zim Achievers and had nothing to do with the event any more he was questioned why he was calling since he claimed he had nothing to do with the event yet when his team was contacted by News of The South after the call his team confirmed he was still the CEO of Zim Achievers awards. Mwanzas defensiveness has back fired.
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The catalyst for this fallout is the treatment of Mr. Smooth, who was nominated for the Male Personality of the Year award. Zim Achievers allegedly failed to notify him of his nomination. Furthermore, his name was incorrectly listed as “Martin Chitsa” instead of “Mr. Smooth,” causing confusion among his fans and hindering their ability to vote for him. Flyers for nominees were also created, but Mr. Smooth’s flyer incorrectly identified him as an “attendee” rather than a “nominee.” In addition, despite being provided with his profile for publication on the Zim Achievers website, his profile was not uploaded, while other nominees’ profiles were.
News of The South explained to Mwanza that the event’s success hinges on the nominees, who deserve respect and whose concerns should be addressed. The publication emphasized that Zim Achievers’ failure to properly acknowledge Mr. Smooth and rectify these errors has significantly disadvantaged him.
Mwanza reportedly argued that the distinction between “attendee” and “nominee” was insignificant. However, News of the South maintained its stance that the two terms have distinct meanings and implications. Mwanza did not provide a satisfactory explanation for why the necessary adjustments were not made.
The controversy has also brought to light concerns about the transparency of the voting process, with allegations of rigging and bribery. News of the South has stressed the importance of transparency and fairness in awards events. As of yesterday, no apology had been issued to Mr. Smooth, a fact that News of the South says demonstrates Zim Achievers’ attitude towards the situation.
As the Zim Achievers Awards ceremony approaches, it remains to be seen how organizers will address these serious concerns and ensure a fair and credible event. The outcome will undoubtedly have significant implications for the future of the awards and its relationship with the Zimbabwean community.
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