Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
THE modernised Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Montrose Studios will play a key role in unlocking wider opportunities and driving the growth of the creative sector in Bulawayo and beyond, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said yesterday.
Speaking during a live interview on ZBC’s Khulumani FM while touring the revamped studios, Dr Muswere emphasised the studios’ contribution to the revival and growth of the city’s film, arts and broader cultural industries.
“Montrose studios will be the anchor and pedestal of the creative industry. We all know that back in the day, there were various dance groups that were in our locations, we also had the late Amakhosi Theatre playwright, Cont Mhlanga,” he said.
“So, all that talent has to be harnessed so as to contribute towards the broadcasting ecosystem. This is the revival and rejuvenation of the creative industry, in particular the film and arts area,” said Dr Muswere.
He highlighted how the upgrading aligns with Bulawayo’s identity as a cultural hub and its role in preserving Zimbabwe’s languages, values, and heritage.
“This will all contribute towards the growth of the metropolitan province of Bulawayo as the cultural hub that also supports the preservation of our languages, values and our identities,” said Dr Muswere.
“So, it is work, work and more work as guided by our national philosophy “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanini balo.”
The minister further described the media’s collective responsibility to educate and inform the nation, using the rainy season and agricultural activities as examples.
“We all have a role to play with collective responsibility, raising awareness, educating the farmers, for example, the rainy season has started, the integration of dams as an economy, how they contribute to aquaculture, to power generation, how we have converted dams to support the domestic and industrial use of water and also the tourism part,” said Dr Muswere.
“So, all this ecosystem is to ensure that your role as the media is enhanced through the role of digitalisation. We have been 10 years behind in terms of digitalisation, but also the television side gives us an ultra-high definition in terms of the current modalities, as we have transformed from analogue to digital.”
Dr Muswere also praised President Mnangagwa’s leadership, attributing the progress in media modernisation and the country’s Vision 2030 goals to his servant leadership style.
“We are especially grateful because of the leadership that has been provided by President Mnangagwa. What we need to underline is the reality that a great leader who believes in servant leadership was identified in Zambia by the likes of the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo and it is because of this identification that it has ensured that within a space of 10 years we can achieve Vision 2030, this is something that we should be able to celebrate,” he said.
The modernised Montrose Studios is part of the broader Zim Digital Phase Two project expected to significantly boost the production of high-quality local content, providing a platform for Zimbabwe’s rich creative talents and reinforcing Bulawayo’s role as a beacon of cultural expression and innovation.
