Zimpapers Logo

Minister Christopher Mushohwe

Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
INFORMATION, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe has implored ministries to appoint trained officers to push for publicity on strides made due to the implementation of Zim-Asset and highlight numerous achievements made so far. Minister Mushohwe expressed concern over poor coverage of Zim-Asset programmes by the media, saying ministries were failing to locate areas and activities of importance, resulting in the blueprint being under-reported.

The Minister was addressing hundreds of delegates who are attending the on-going ZimAsset Bulawayo Stakeholders Engagement conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) yesterday.

The two-day conference, running under the theme, “Consolidating Bulawayo’s growth through Zim-Asset”, saw Ministers delivering presentations and explaining how the city is benefiting from Zim-Asset programmes.

“The biggest challenge we face comes by way of Ministries which still are unable to locate areas and activities of publicity. To that extent, the good progress done in Zim-Asset often goes unknown within the government, and thus goes unreported or under-reported. The ideal situation is for us to have trained officers seconded to Ministries so all publishable activities are highlighted,” said the Minister.

He emphasised the need for each Ministry to appoint officers for co-ordination with his Ministry to improve publicity on Zim-Asset. He said it was important for both the print and electronic media to publicise the two-day event and demystify Zim-Asset.

“We should also budget for a backlash from our detractors who want to see Zim-Asset failing. Even where positive strides have been made, there will be those who will continue to be in denial.

“Negative publicity will continue to spew against the programme, but we shall also make sure that we intensify our own publicity campaign efforts,” said Minister Mushohwe.

The projects, he added, shall be able to tell their own story if they are given visibility in the media.

Minister Mushowe said the area which has presented the greatest challenge in terms of publicity was the food security and nutritional sector. “There’s a general misconception that a year that aborts agriculturally because of the elements, in this case El-Nino, spells doom for Zim-Asset. On this matter, we’ve had to change publicity tact, namely to emphasise on our platforms efforts by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and the two Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko on resuscitating irrigation projects.

“We’ve also had to emphasise on food distribution to the needy as well as gearing ourselves to publicising child supplementary feeding, which the concerned Ministries are soon to launch,” he said.

On infrastructure and utilities, Minister Mushohwe said the country’s emphasis has been on the Bulawayo-Mutare highway, the various energy projects, broadcast infrastructure, rehabilitation of schools and other amenities.

“These areas have received quite some publicity and our hope is that the Beitbridge-Chirundu highway will soon start. However, what makes publicity weak is the long gestation of projects, forcing us to keep the spotlight on the same projects, thereby creating a sense of stasis. I’m happy that the digitalisation project has been availing new breakthroughs practically every month. The only drawback remains that of underfunding,” said Minister Mushohwe.