adminLungile Tshuma Sunday News Correspondent
SUNDAY News senior reporter Robin Muchetu and senior photographer Dennis Mudzamiri have scooped United Nations in Zimbabwe Media Awards. Mudzamiri scooped the best UN in Zimbabwe photo-journalist of the year award during a ceremony that was held in Harare on 26 February.
For his feat, Mudzamiri received a certificate and an external hard drive.
The veteran photographer, who has won several awards before, applauded the move by UN to encourage journalists in the country to write developmental issues that will help to take the country to a better level.
“I am happy to have been given the award and I thank UN for having started this programme on looking for solutions to develop the country. It is through this initiative that journalists will be directing the Government on issues of concern,” said Mudzamiri.
This comes after Mudzamiri scooped the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) photo-journalist of the year (2014) early last month.
Muchetu shrugged off stiff competition from more than 130 entries by journalists based in Zimbabwe, who have published or broadcast stories with accredited media houses in print, online, radio or television. She made seventh position and received a Merit Media Award certificate for Best Development Reporting.
She dedicated her award to the late Sunday News Editor Paul Mambo who encouraged her to take health reporting seriously. Muchetu boldly declared that next year’s prize belongs to her.
“I dedicate this award to the late editor Paul Mambo. He encouraged me to take up health reporting when I came to Sunday News. He told me that health reporting was very important because it borders on people’s wellbeing and people worry much about their health,” she said.
“As journalists, we have a role to play in guiding the country by articulating issues of concern and more so aid the realisation of ZimAsset goals. Most importantly, next year’s first prize is mine.”
The awards come after the formation of the Zimbabwe-United Nations Development Assistance Framework (Zundaf). Zundaf is the UN strategic programme framework to support national development priorities as well as achievement of the Global Millennium Development Goals.
The prizes are meant to encourage increased reportage of development issues through raising awareness on major milestones realised, alongside gaps, in the implementation of the Zundaf and the country’s economic blueprint, Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.
Entries covered various national priority areas.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter