By Ashley Moyo SENIOR STAFF WRITER
3 Ktv will tonight provide live coverage of the inaugural Zimbabwe Annual Film and Television Awards (ZAFTAs) in Harare, as it continues to make giant strides in the broadcasting industry.
This comes two days after also broadcasting live Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s 2024 National Budget presentation at Parliament Building in Mt Hampden. Tonight’s event would be hosted by veteran broadcaster Christina Nyirenda, playwright Eunice Tava and Fungai Mujaya.
ZAFTAs spokesperson, Richard Tentone, yesterday said the awards were dedicated to “promoting and uplifting the Zimbabwean film and television community by showcasing their outstanding work and inspiring future generations of filmmakers”.
“This event promises to be an unforgettable night that showcases the remarkable talent and dedication of our local film and television community,” Tentone said. 3Ktv’s head of programming, Lucia Kanyongo, said she was very pleased that the station continued to do very well.
“We have had a fantastic time on air since we became the first licensed and independent television station to launch in the country, and things continue to get better for the channel. “Our viewership figures and reach, as well as the station’s commercial sustainability, continue to outpace all our initial projections.
“This has seen 3Ktv — a mass medium that reaches a large audience — becoming an increasing and effective channel of choice for many businesses who wish to promote their products and services,” Kanyongo told the Daily News.
Apart from beaming the awards live, 3Ktv would also be hoping to walk away with several honours at this evening’s ceremony, after it received several nominations in the prestigious ZAFTAs.
3Ktv’s popular productions — that include Jangano, Maliwe, Faking it, Amanxeba, Tangled, Hakata and Bundu — have all been nominated for the top gongs. At the same time, one of the station’s star presenters, Edith Marwiro — who is better known as Mazwi on the silver screen — has also been nominated in the ‘Outstanding TV Presenter’ category.
In addition, various actors and actresses from 3Ktv’s telenovelas and documentaries have been nominated across a range of categories. The Outstanding TV actress category has among the nominees thespians from 3Ktv productions, including Charlene Mangweni (Tangled), Gamu Denenga (Faking It) and Sipilisiwe Kaikeni (Jangano).
In the Outstanding TV Actor category, Tendai Madzviti (Bundu) and Lucian T David (Faking It) made the cut. This evening’s live broadcast comes hardly days after the historymaking station, owned by fastgrowing multi-media group, Jester Media Services (JMS), televised the unveiling of the 2024 National Budget, in partnership with the National Assembly.
Speaking to the Daily News on Wednesday, 3Ktv station manager, Abigail Mvududu, was rapturous about the development — noting that this was “another feather in the cap for the 21-months old station”. “It is very pleasing to note that we continue to take giant steps in this competitive industry. “Viewers of the station will remember that this is not the first live broadcast that we have been entrusted with by key stakeholders and business partners.
“All this is a massive vote of confidence in 3Ktv, and we look forward to doing even more of these important mega events going forward,” Mvududu said. “Indeed, the station has successfully broadcast live the OK Grand challenge. “Other significant live broadcasts have included the Women University in Africa graduation ceremonies and church services.
“Also important to note is the fact that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration was covered live and very successfully so by the station,” Mvududu said.
In doing all this, the family-viewing national channel continues to underline its well-earned status as Zimbabwe’s most watched television station on satellite. 3Ktv was licensed in November 2020, after coming tops in a competitive and public bidding process.
It went on air on February 28 2022, becoming the first licensed private commercial station to operate in the country since television was first introduced in the then Southern Rhodesia in November 1960. 3Ktv is a sister venture to Zimbabwe’s iconic and number one business publication, The Financial Gazette, as well as the inimitable Daily News and the Daily News On Sunday. Besides the live broadcasts, the station and its staff have also bagged many awards over the past 21 months.