Relatives seek compo from broadcaster

 RELATIVES of the National Broadcasting Corporation Radio Southern Highlands employee who died two weeks ago are demanding K200,000 each from the broadcaster and the Southern Highlands provincial government.

The employee, a driver, was found dead inside the station’s premises. 

Relatives believe he was murdered.

The deceased, Clement Sipendi, had been an employee of the radio station since 1963.

He is from the Upper Mendi local level government, in the Mendi-Munihu district, and served as a driver for 50 years.

Last Friday, his body was brought from the Mendi General Hospital and a funeral service was held inside the radio station where relatives handed over the petition in front of the provincial police commander Supt Sibron Papoto, peace and good order committees and the provincial government.

Radio Southern Highlands provincial acting director Joe Kereme said the station had stopped operations since the death.

He said NBC Radio Southern Highlands was suspended for an indefinite period following threats by the tribesmen of the deceased.

He said relatives wanted to close the station if nothing was done within the given time.

“Relatives have been demanding an explanation for the cause of his death from NBC management and two strong allegations by the deceased’s relatives were – no proper fencing around the premises and no employed security guards,” he said.

Kereme said the management had called on the provincial government several times to help with the fencing as the station belonged to the people of Southern Highlands but the request continued to be ignored.

Consequently, the lives of the staff were at stake, he said.

NBC headquarters has advised to shut the station down for good as a last resort if threats continued and staff be transferred to other provinces.