adminThandeka Moyo Chronicle Correspondent
CHRONICLE has for the second year running scooped the coveted National Journalism and Media (NJAMA) News Reporter of the Year after its reporter Pamela Shumba scooped the prestigious award on Friday.Pamela Shumba walked away with $1 500, an Acer tablet and a certificate courtesy of Chicken Slice for her story about a Bubi teacher who lost examination papers last year.
The citation for her award read: “The entry was of high quality that depicted possible corruption in the Zimbabwe education system at a time when the system is under scrutiny. Her entry stood out from others because she chose to address issues affecting the nation unlike others who mainly focused on politics.”
Temba Dube won the Environment Reporter of the Year Award courtesy of Nyaradzo Group. He walked away with $3 000, a floating trophy and a certificate for his story on Umguza pollution.
The citation for his award read: “This was a high quality entry that differed from others in that it explored the effects of pollution from a city that is rated amongst the cleanest in the world and said to have the safest water supply in the country.
The articles also brought out the effects of urban pollution from Bulawayo in the downstream Umguza where crops irrigated from the polluted water were banned from export because of high levels of toxins. The writer also went on to show that the people causing pollution were from Bulawayo and that the same were affected as Umguza was their main source of fish and vegetables.”
Chronicle correspondent Gibson Mhaka was runner up in the Gender Based-Violence Reporter of the Year award and walked away with a certificate.
Journalists from the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group dominated the awards. Among those who won the several awards were The Herald’s Roselyn Sachiti who walked away with an accolade for the Best Feature Documentary Journalist of the Year, Fidelis Munyoro (best Legal and Parliamentary Reporter of the Year), Cathrine Murombedzi (Unicef Child Journalist of the Year), Farai Kuvirimirwa (first runner up in the Best News Journalist of the Year category).
Sachiti was also named as the first runner up in the Gender-Based Violence Journalist of the Year. In his remarks Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Cde Supa Mandiwanzira who was the guest of honour commended reporters for the work they conducted in the past year.
Cde Mandiwanzira said Government remains committed in empowering journalists from all media stables and would create employment in the digitalisation era.
“The awards inspire our journalists and provide us with an opportunity to critically review how our media is faring and stock of some of the developments in the industry. It is with this spirit that we are engaging the whole media industry to get the sectors’ views on how best we can develop the sector.
“We are determined to carry everyone on board, reading from the same page and with one spirit. As media, your responsibility also lies in creating a good image for our country to attract investment and to expose opportunities,” he said.
Government, he said, remains committed to building the capacity of indigenous Zimbabweans and through possible agendas such as the promotion of Pan-Africanism and culture.
President of the Federation of African Journalists (Faj), Malam Mohammed Garba, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) secretary-general Foster Dongozi and acting vice president Michael Chideme attended the event.
Online Reporter