Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
TODAY marks a historic milestone for The Chronicle whose first edition was published exactly 125 years ago thus Happy 125th birthday to the country’s liveliest newspaper!
Established in 1894, the paper has been pigeon-holed as the face of the nation’s second largest city due to its reliability and neutral reporting.
Chronicle Showbiz took to the streets this week to talk to the people about their views of the publication.
One of the publication’s longest serving vendors Ms Tracey Bhero, who has been retailing the paper for the past 19 years and is situated at corner 9th Avenue and Fife Street, said she is who she is today because of the publication.
“IChronicle liphepha elithandwa ngabantu kakhulu. Kungenxa yokuthi lilendawo lapho okulama adverts ngezindlu, ngemisebenzi, ngezinto ezithengiswayo lokunengi nengi. (The Chronicle is a loved newspaper in the city. This is because there is a classifieds section where people can advertise or look for jobs, houses and other things.)
“Ungalifananisa lamanye lawa kuyakhombisa injongo yalo yokuhlanganisa isizwe, (If you were to compare it with other papers, which don’t have a classifieds section, its proof on the fanatism they have in connecting Zimbabweans all over),” said Ms Bhero.
She continued: “If you look in the past months, The Chronicle price was the cheapest compared to other newspapers and generally by around 12pm the paper would be already sold out. This has been helped by the fact that by 5AM, the paper is already on the streets and this has helped us create solid relations with our customers.”
Veteran academic and businessman Mr Clemence Kunzekweguta said The Chronicle is the most supportive newspaper to the business fraternity and educational issues in the Southern region.
“If you look at the articles, they reveal a sense of supportiveness among business people and most stories covered have no negative or denigrating issues about the region.
“Educational matters are highly promoted and there is the moulding of a society accompanied by creation of cordial relations,” said Mr Kunzekweguta.
The businessman urged The Chronicle management to establish an educational column on academic issues which as the business society they are eager to fund as the custodians of the media firm.
In a telephone interview, Mr Isaac Moyo from West Nicholson in Gwanda said the newspaper should continue its mandate of informing the public as it covers the Midlands, Bulawayo Metropolitan, Matabeleland South and North provinces.
“As people based in the rural areas, we are overwhelmed with the hard work The Chronicle team is doing in ensuring we get our issues covered and also on knowing about issues happening around the country.
“It is something that should be commended considering how fake news circulates especially in the new media. The unbiased information they give us keeps us on the right track,” said Mr Moyo.
Zanu-PF politburo member and former minister Cde Tshinga Dube said the old adage that says “wine gets better with age”, rings true for The Chronicle.
“The Chronicle has been here for quite a while now; it has grown to fill a huge gap in society. This is through keeping people informed especially on government policies. It further goes on to unpack the policies so that they can be easily understood by the masses,” said Cde Dube.
The Chronicle has been active in promoting artists in the entertainment industry, connecting long lost relatives among other notable initiatives.
Dancer Masotsha Nzou of Sungura Masters said, “The newspaper has made us who we are. Without them, we are nothing,” said Nzou. – @mthabisi_mthire.
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