SYDNEY SAIZE IN MUTARE
Government has made strides in ensuring media polarisation is ended, a senior government official has said.
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa told Business Times on the side lines of the Dental Association of Zimbabwe annual conference held in Mutare last week, that the current government was a listening government.
“Immediately when I was appointed the Minister in the Second Republic my immediate duty was to unite the media so that we do not have what is called private and public media.
We are one and have to work together. My door is always open for discussion and working together as a country for development,” Mutsvangwa said.
She added: “Those who know me well can testify that recently I visited the offices of the private media, The News Day, The Daily News, so we do not need to segregate ourselves. We need to appreciate the role we need to play that is to inform, educate and entertain for nation growth.”
After every Cabinet meeting, a post Cabinet briefing is held with all media. This is done to show a change in attitude of the government approach on the way the media is handled, Mutsvangwa said.
“We have gone a step further in fulfilling the goal of smooth flow of information as a government in the second republic. After each Cabinet seating we call for a post Cabinet briefing with all interested media and share the information in a transparent manner.
Above that we have our provincial and district information officers across the country to give the media accurate information on the government programmes, projects and other key issues,” Mutsvangwa said.
In the past there have been reports of some sections of the media being barred from attending State and government functions, following accusations of bias and pursuing a regime change agenda.
In political circles it has been the same song where private media find it difficult to cover ruling party events; and the State media has often complained of being harassed at opposition party gatherings too.
Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa who was a motivational speaker at the gathering called on the medical practitioners to ‘think big’ and consider investing more in their business and land.
The doctors had complained about the high interest rates on loans in the country stating that the premiums were not good for business and therefore not sustainable.
The former presidential advisor and current war veterans chairperson pointed out that it would be wise if the government would seriously consider doing away with the US$ and embrace Zimbabwe’s own currency.
“I find it wise to move on with our own currency and dump the American dollar. We have all the gold, diamonds and other precious minerals so it would be prudent to be our own people with our own currency and stop this bullying from the Americans and their friends,” he said.
