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Minister Mushowe

Tendai Mugabe Harare Bureau
THE media should be responsible when executing their mandate and focus on issues that build the country’s image instead of amplifying the negative, the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Cde Chris Mushohwe, said yesterday.

This comes in the wake of a sustained onslaught on the government by the private media.

“We want to see more emphasis on policy formulation and even implementation, more focus on building Zimbabwe and avoiding those things that destroy Zimbabwe because like I said, we can only rebuild Zimbabwe if we project the correct image of the country.’’

Cde Mushohwe made the remarks after meeting publishers from various media houses at his Munhumutapa Offices.

He sought to have an appreciation of the challenges faced by the media industry following his appointment as the responsible minister in August.

Negative reporting, Cde Mushohwe said, would dent investment and in some cases result in capital flight.

“As government, we want to see a cohesive relationship between the media sector and the government,” he said.

Cde Mushohwe said although he was not pleading for positive coverage, it was important to strike a balance and to criticise constructively.

“We can only entice FDIs — we can only curb capital flight if we project a positive image of Zimbabwe — not that we should always not talk about the bad side of the country if there are such things, we must talk about the good and bad things about the country. But we shouldn’t create an internal regime change agenda or impose sanctions on ourselves through the projection that we give of our country. What pleases me most is that all the people who are here and I’m sure even the proprietors, are indigenous Zimbabweans who have or whose parents have witnessed and suffered the brutalities of the war and that everyone of us would never wish to go back to that situation.

“Given that, we all have Zimbabwe in our hearts, we all love our country. This is the only country we have.”

Cde Mushohwe said people might have disagreements on certain issues, but that should not go beyond the spirit of nationhood and oneness as Zimbabweans.

“Yes, we may disagree, yes we may quarrel, yes, we see things differently but you always remember that we’re a family in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Cde Mushohwe said he would continue to interact with the publishers more often to create a harmonious and amicable relationship.

Commenting on competition in the media industry, Cde Mushohwe said publishers should not antagonise their customers.

“I was looking at the amount of advertisements you get from the government,” he said. “If the government decides that no advertisement should go to the Herald, Daily News or NewsDay, imagine the amount of revenue you’ll lose and you’ll crumble. As the government, we don’t want to see that.”

Cde Mushohwe was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, George Charamba and principal director Regis Chikowore.

The meeting was attended by representatives from Zimpapers, Alpha Media Holdings and Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe among other publishers.