Online Reporter
Herald Correspondent
THE Government has challenged local media to abandon “outdated stereotypes” and narratives that seek to humiliate or undermine its efforts, calling instead for the creation of a media environment that genuinely reflects the country’s progress.
The call was made by chief director of Government Messaging and Programmes in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Jonathan Gandari at a strategic workshop for editors and journalists in Harare yesterday.
While addressing the media on “the revolving story of Zimbabwe,” Mr Gandari stressed that journalists are the narrators of national progress. “Let us create a media environment that truly reflects who we are. And above all, let us embrace the President’s call: ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’ . . . As editors and journalists, you are narrators of national progress. You hold the responsibility of telling the Zimbabwean story as it truly is — not through the lenses of outdated stereotypes and narratives crafted to humiliate or undermine, but through the reality lived by our people today.”
“We are not asking for propagation. We are asking for true testimonies of the people at the grassroots because this is where development meets the people. And where truth exists, it must be told boldly and unapologetically,” he said.
Mr Gandari clarified that the Government was not seeking “propagation,” but rather “true testimonies of the people at the grassroots” where development meets citizens.
“Where truth exists, it must be told boldly and unapologetically,” he added.
Mr Gandari also highlighted major strides in national development, which he noted are now guided by the country’s “lived realities.”
Mining, agriculture, tourism, and heritage-based Education 5.0 have become the pillars of this new model.
“In mining, we have seen unprecedented growth driven by better resource management and investment.
“In agriculture, Zimbabwe is reclaiming its place as the breadbasket of the region. We are not just feeding ourselves; we are demonstrating the power of self-sufficiency and self-dependency.”
Mr Gandari also described Education 5.0 as a true model, which speaks to development.
“And in education through Education 5.0, our learning institutions are no longer just centres of theory; they are engines of innovation, production, and problem-solving.”
“Today, students in primary schools, colleges, and universities are not waiting for employment; they are forming companies, creating innovations, and participating in national development from an early stage. This is a revolution of mindset, and its outcomes will transform generations.”
