Vusumuzi Dube Deputy Radar Editor
ZIMPAPERS has extended its Junior Media Club initiative to Matabeleland South with the launch of a club at Manama High School in Gwanda.
The programme is aimed at nurturing young talent and equipping learners with practical media and communication skills.
The launch, held yesterday under the theme, “Catch Them Young — Empowering the Next Generation.
Speaking during the event, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Omphile Marupi, challenged learners to become responsible communicators and use their talents to inform, educate and inspire society.
He said the initiative would help young people develop skills in journalism, creative writing, public speaking, photography, digital content creation and storytelling.
“The Junior Media Club is therefore a timely and important initiative. It provides learners with exposure to journalism, creative writing, public speaking, photography, digital content creation and storytelling.
These are skills that build confidence, leadership, creativity and critical thinking,” he said.
Dr Marupi commended Zimpapers and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for partnering to nurture young talent and give learners opportunities to develop practical skills that would prepare them for the future.
He said in a world increasingly driven by information and communication, young people needed to be equipped with the ability to use information responsibly, critically and ethically.
“To the learners gathered here today, this club is your opportunity to discover your talents and sharpen your voice. Every community has stories that deserve to be told. Every school has achievements worth celebrating.
“Through this platform, you will learn how to tell those stories accurately, responsibly and professionally,” he said.
The deputy minister welcomed the introduction of the Zimpapers Junior Media Club Publication, which provides learners with an opportunity to submit articles, features, opinion pieces and creative stories for publication on established media platforms.
He said the publication was an important milestone as it moved the initiative beyond training by creating opportunities for young people to participate in national discourse.
“This is a significant milestone because it moves beyond training and creates a real platform for young people to participate in the national discourse. It demonstrates that Zimbabwe’s young voices matter and deserve to be heard,” said Dr Marupi.
He said the initiative complemented Government’s efforts to empower young people through education, innovation and skills development, while the Careers Day component would expose learners to different professions and help them make informed decisions about their futures.
Speaking on behalf of Zimpapers chief executive officer Mr William Chikoto, the group’s Intake Editor and Zimpapers Training Institute acting principal, Dr Limukani Ncube, said the Junior Media Club was part of the media house’s commitment to investing in communities and developing the next generation.
He said the initiative, established in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, was designed to move learners from being passive consumers of media to becoming informed, creative and responsible content producers.
“Our philosophy is simply to take the newsroom into the classroom and bring the classroom into the newsroom. We want learners to understand how newspapers are produced, how radio programmes are presented, how television content is created and how digital platforms have transformed communication,” said Dr Ncube.
He said the launch at Manama High School was part of a growing national programme that had already been established in Bulawayo, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Masvingo and Harare.
Dr Ncube said the intention was to establish a national network of school-based media clubs, ensuring that learners across the country had access to media education, mentorship and opportunities to showcase their talents.
Under the programme, learners will receive practical training in print and digital journalism, broadcasting, photography, videography, podcasting, multimedia production, graphic design and editing.
Zimpapers journalists, editors, photographers and broadcasters will contribute their professional experience through workshops, demonstrations, assignments and mentorship.
Dr Ncube said the Junior Media Club Publication would provide an additional platform for learners to showcase their work, covering school achievements, sporting activities, innovations, culture, heritage and issues affecting their communities.
The publication had initially provided exposure through established Zimpapers platforms, including Sunday News, The Sunday Mail, The Herald and The Chronicle, before transitioning into a monthly digital publication.
Dr Ncube also urged learners to uphold professional and ethical standards when creating and sharing content, particularly in an era where information spreads rapidly through digital platforms.
He said young people should verify information before sharing it, respect privacy, seek consent when recording or publishing identifiable individuals and avoid spreading harmful rumours.
Education Secretary for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe (ELCZ) group of schools in the Western Diocese, Mrs Tumisang Thabela, described the launch as a full-circle moment.
She revealed that she had signed the agreement that paved the way for Zimpapers to establish Junior Media Clubs in schools across the country when she was still Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
“It is particularly meaningful that the programme is now being launched at Manama High School, my former school. I especially welcome this initiative as it demonstrates the importance of partnerships in creating opportunities for learners and equipping them with skills beyond the classroom,” said Mrs Thabela.
Besides, the host school, 16 other schools from Gwanda district attended the launch.
Dr Marupi committed that next year there will be cluster launches of the junior media club at each of these schools.
The event was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, school heads, traditional leaders, local authority representatives, parents, teachers and Zimpapers officials.
The launch also saw Zimpapers donating 200 Road Runner chicks courtesy of Zimbabwe Free Range Poultry Association headed by Ms Beauty Jiji, Fruit Trees courtesy of Zimpapers in partnership with our
Friends from Nyaradzo (Friends of the Environment FOTE), two Jojo water storage tanks and drip irrigation pipes in partnership with Masters Paint and Hardware, 1000 chicks coming from Mr Noko of Sunset
Marketing, 3 200 exercise books from Typocrafters, a Zimpapers subsidiary and two fire extinguishers courtesy of Safety People fire engineers which is owned by a former Manama High student Buhlebenkosi Lusinga.
