The salary dispute involving Nkulumane Rusununguko Television (NRTV) has taken a new turn after the High Court Sheriff reported a company-owned Toyota Fortuner to the police after the vehicle could not be found during an attempt to seize attached assets.
The development comes as NRTV property is scheduled to go under the hammer today, August 26, as former and current employees seek to recover US$278,479.88 in unpaid salaries.
According to workers familiar with the matter, the Fortuner was being used by an NRTV production manager when the Sheriff arrived to take possession of the vehicle.
However, the claim regarding the vehicle’s user is not contained in the Sheriff’s official Return of Service. The document confirms that the Fortuner could not be located at the address where the execution was being carried out.
The Sheriff recorded that a police report was subsequently filed under RRB Number 6951756.
“A police report was made under RRB Number 6951756 for Toyota Fortuner which was missing at the address for service on the day of removal,” the Sheriff stated.
The document further indicates that efforts to get the defendants to bring the vehicles to the Sheriff were unsuccessful.
“Efforts to engage the defendants to bring the vehicles were fruitless leading the Sheriff to file a police report,” the Sheriff noted.
The Return of Service, dated August 19, 2026, relates to High Court case HCH1957/26, in which NRTV is cited as the defendant alongside Walter Tendai Duri and several other employees.
The reported disappearance of the Fortuner comes shortly before the scheduled auction of NRTV assets to recover unpaid wages dating back to December 2024.
Among the assets listed for auction are a Nissan NV350, Mercedes-Benz C200, three Toyota Aquas, a Toyota minibus and various office furnishings.
The dispute has been ongoing for several months and has already gone through arbitration before reaching the High Court.
Arbitrator Patience Kavuru previously ruled that NRTV’s failure to pay workers over an extended period constituted an unfair labour practice.
The broadcaster had attributed the salary arrears to financial difficulties and proposed paying the outstanding amounts in instalments. However, the arbitrator reportedly found that NRTV had not provided sufficient evidence to support its claims of financial hardship or obtained an exemption under the relevant collective bargaining agreement.
The arbitration award was later registered with the High Court, allowing the affected employees to pursue execution against NRTV’s property after the debt remained unpaid.
As the auction date approached, the parties also reportedly attempted to resolve the dispute through negotiations.
Workers said NRTV proposed an instalment payment plan to clear the outstanding salaries over time. However, the employees, represented by their Workers Committee and legal representatives, rejected the proposal in its existing form.
They reportedly demanded legally binding conditions that would protect their right to continue enforcing the judgment debt if the broadcaster failed to honour the agreement.
The negotiations subsequently broke down after the parties failed to reach an agreement on the proposed safeguards, according to the workers.
Employees have also questioned the company’s financial position, alleging that NRTV recently paid two months’ salaries to members of executive management, junior managers and other employees who were not part of the court proceedings.
The workers argue that the alleged payments raise questions about the company’s claim of financial difficulties, particularly given the outstanding judgment debt.
The Sheriff’s Return of Service provides an official account of the challenges encountered during the execution process. It identifies Assistant Sheriff Abimael Mafongoya as being involved in the execution, with Walter Tendai Duri listed on the plaintiffs’ side.
The police report concerning the missing Fortuner adds another issue to the dispute as the workers prepare for the scheduled auction.
Questions now remain over whether all the assets identified for attachment will be available for sale as employees continue efforts to recover their outstanding salaries through the legal process.
NRTV had not responded to requests for comment on the workers’ allegations, the whereabouts of the Fortuner, the reported salary payments to other employees or the scheduled auction by the time of publication.
