Zimpapers Logo

Cde Simon Khaya Moyo

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
NEWLY appointed acting Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, has said his new portfolio will enhance the country’s developmental agenda through access to information.

In an interview yesterday, Ambassador Khaya Moyo who is also the Minister of Energy and Power Development, said Government was working on upgrading media related infrastructure to ensure access to information countrywide.

He said this is crucial as some areas in the country have no access to broadcasting services.

“It means I must work and keep the country informed. We must make infrastructure related to information, media and broadcasting accessible to people across the country. It’s very important that we keep in touch with the people and avail them the necessary information,” said Ambassador Khaya Moyo.

“We are aware in most border areas, people cannot tune to national television and radio stations. These people must also be informed what is happening in the country by their own national broadcaster.”

Government is working on the digitalisation programme which will see the country moving from analogue to digital broadcasting.

The project will result in the increase of television and radio channels across the country.

Ambassador Khaya Moyo said access to official information will reduce misinformation which peddled through social media platforms.

“It’s a challenge and people should be informed not through propaganda or social media. We cannot rely on social media because there is no truth in most of its content. We must focus on issues of development,” said Ambassador Khaya Moyo.

He said Government’s thrust now as enunciated by the President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa is to push the development agenda as opposed to politicking hence the need for the official media to keep citizens abreast with developments in the country.

“It’s not politics all the way, it’s also economics, economics, economics as the President has said. So we must keep focused in terms of our programmes, policies and involve the people in this process,” he said.

Ambassador Khaya Moyo said he was happy that the President has shown confidence in him by temporarily assigning him to oversee the Information Ministry.

“It’s a welcome challenge of course. It’s an addition to a large Ministry I already have, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development. But I’m ready to face the challenge and of course I’m very grateful to the President because it also demonstrates a sense of trust in me as you know information is a very sensitive area,” said Khaya Moyo.

“They say information is power, if people are not informed you have a problem or when people are misinformed you have a problem. People must always know of their present, future and where the country is going.”

He said the Information Ministry is an extension of his work in Zanu-PF where he is the party’s national spokesperson.

Cde Khaya Moyo said this means that he will outline party programmes in line with the Government’s thrust.

“Government is a product of the party. The party is supreme, Government must implement policies of the party. It must implement decisions of the party, it must implement the vision of the party. As they say vision without implementation is hallucination,” he said.

Ambassador Khaya Moyo said he will soon meet with the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr George Charamba to outline the ministry’s 100 day programme.

@nqotshili