ZIMBABWE joined the rest of the globe on Friday to commemorate World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) with the government committing to eradicate polarisation in the local media industry.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Jenfan Muswere made the commitment in a World Press Freedom Day commemorative message.
“As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, I want to assure you that the Second Republic will continue to work towards eradication of polarisation through constructive engagement with the media. The government of Zimbabwe commits to work with the media fraternity,” he said.
He said the WPFD commemorations came at a time when the country achieved a major milestone in the broadcasting sector where 14 vernacular community radio stations were licensed.
“The Second Republic under the astute leadership of President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa has made tremendous progress in the creation of an enabling environment in the media sector. The Second Republic has made significant progress in ensuring a safe, free, and competitive operating environment for all media to thrive,” said Muswere.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Perfect Hlongwane said despite deteriorating working conditions as exemplified by poor salaries and sexual harassment issues, journalists continue to work tirelessly to keep the citizenry informed.
“ZUJ, therefore, would like to use this occasion to again call upon the government and all relevant government agencies to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the rights of journalists, to protecting their safety and security, and ensuring that they execute their work with the least minimum interference in keeping with Zimbabwe’s constitutional provisions on press freedom and freedom of expression and other related issues,” he said.
Zimbabwe Media Commission chairperson Ruby Magosvongwe said journalists were overworked, underpaid, and often experience burn-out because newsrooms have inadequate staff.
In a solidarity message, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission called on all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to press freedom, freedom of expression, and access to information. This year’s theme was: “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crisis”. — New Ziana
