adminLloyd Gumbo in VICTORIA FALLS
Members of the Regional Adjudication Committee of the Southern African Development Community Media Awards are meeting in Victoria Falls to consider entries from journalists who covered SADC activities in general and water issues in the region in 2014.
zimpapers chief executive, Mr Pikirayi Deketeke is chairing the committee meetings that started yesterday and will run until Friday.
sadc Head of Public Relations Unit, Ms Leefa Penehupifo Martin said winners of this year’s awards will walk away with $2 000 per category. There are four categories in both awards which are radio, print, television and photography.
“The winners, who will be identified at this meeting will receive their prizes during the Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Gaborone, Botswana, where the next summit in August will be taking place,” she said.
“The prices are handed over by the current chairperson of sadc. This year they will be handed over by President Mugabe just before he hands over the chair to President Ian Khama of Botswana. There is also a certificate that is also signed and handed over by the chair.”
Ms Martin said the adjudication committee was mandated to screen entries from regional journalists vetted by respective national adjudication committees.
“The water one (category) is specifically concentrating on entries on reportage on the region’s water while the general one is looking at any form of publicity about sadc.
“This group comprises of sadc National Media Coordinators and chairpersons of National Adjudication Committees of the sadc Media awards, said Ms Martin.
She said while sadc journalists had developed interest in covering regional issues, it was important for them to submit their entries for awards. “The rationale of having these awards is to facilitate the coverage of sadc to give the media practitioners of the region an opportunity to showcase professionalism and creativity and actually the interest in reporting about the region.”
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