Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has expressed its support for the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group, the largest diversified media house in the country, noting that its operations align with President Mnangagwa’s vision of leaving no one and no place behind.
During a familiarisation tour of the company’s facilities in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda, who was guided by Zimpapers chief executive officer Mr William Chikoto, conveyed Government’s satisfaction with Zimpapers and its contributions to national development.
“I had an opportunity to tour Zimpapers today (yesterday), where I was shown a lot of work that they do, from radio, television, print media and the commercial division.
“I am happy with the way that they are covering the whole nation, in terms of ensuring that no one and no place is left behind.
Zimpapers chief executive officer Mr William Chikoto (second left) explains the operations of the digital newsroom to Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda (second right), while Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Omphile Marupi (second right), Zimpapers Board member Ms Rutendo Mangudya (right), The Herald editor Victoria Ruzvidzo (third left) and Day Editor Hebert Zharare (left) look on at Herald House yesterday.
“Their various news packages reach various places. And we will continue to do much more as Government to ensure that they are assisted, especially ensuring that the signal distribution is fair throughout the whole country,” he said.
Minister Soda highlighted Zimpapers’ diversification as a particularly impressive aspect. “They are well diversified. Economically, they are supposed to be sustainable, meaning that when one of their entities fails, they must be able to stand from the other entities which they are running in their portfolios.
“So I’m markedly happy with what they are doing, and some of the issues which they have just highlighted are what we will attend to in detail,” he said.
Zimpapers is a diversified media group comprising three main divisions: Newspaper and Digital and Publishing, Commercial Printing, and Broadcasting.
Minister Soda (centre) is welcomed by Board members and senior executives at the Zimpapers head office yesterday.
Key brands include The Herald, The Sunday Mail, Chronicle, H-Metro, Star FM, and ZTN Prime. Other subsidiaries include Natprint, BoldAds and the Zimpapers Knowledge Centre
Minister Soda said going forward, he would convene meetings with the company’s leadership to ensure issues raised are addressed.
“We will have several other meetings in the future to look into the details of the matters which they just briefed me,” he said.
The minister urged the media industry as a whole to ensure citizens in all corners of the country are well informed.
“We have some places currently which are not receiving news, whereas we would want everybody to be on board, especially as we march towards realisation of Vision 2030, where no one and no place must be left behind,” said Minister Soda.
He also urged the media to report ethically and accurately at all times.
Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Omphile Marupi (right) speaks to Dj Mox at the Star FM studios. Looking on are Zimpapers general manager (Broadcasting) Mr Comfort Mbofana (second right) and Zimpapers board member Mrs Sibyl Madzikanda (third right) and other members of staff.
On his part, Mr Chikoto expressed his gratitude for the minister’s visit, during which he had the opportunity to showcase the company’s diverse operations.
“We are very happy that the Honourable Minister came to see our operations. We have just completed the digital transformation project, so we were able to show him the new newsroom,” he said.
Mr Chikoto also expressed his enthusiasm for the growing collaboration between the company’s broadcasting division and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
“We were also able to show him our television studios and he spoke at length on how we should collaborate as Zimpapers and ZBC,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Omphile Marupi (second right) follows as Natprint general manager for Commercial Printing Mr Cleopas Mutsawuri (right) shows him some of the division’s products. Looking on are Zimpapers chief executive officer Mr William Chikoto (second from left), Zimpapers board members Mrs Sibyl Madzikanda (centre) and Mr George Chisoko, who is also the director of Media Services in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
“(We) are one family, that we need to explore ways of collaborating, that we should not be competing, that we should be working as one team.
“So we are very excited that there is going to be more collaboration as we go forward,” he said.
Minister Soda was accompanied by Deputy Minister Omphile Marupi, Chief Director Johnathan Gandari, Director Media Services Mr George Chisoko, Deputy Director Mr Kuda Chideme, among other ministry officials.
Deputy Minister Marupi later toured the Zimpapers printing department that houses Natprint and also Star FM.
Speaking while on air at Star FM, Deputy Minister Marupi said the emergence of numerous new radio stations was in tandem with President Mnangagwa’s vision of leaving no one and no place behind.
“That is what we want to achieve at the end of the day, being a community, a country that is abreast with activities that are taking place, as in development and being informed of what is happening around us,” he said.
