The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
GOVERNMENT recognises the crucial role that Bulawayo-based content creators have in growing the country’s creative economy, with more efforts set to be made to create synergies between the country’s broadcasters and artists, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.
VP Mohadi made the remarks during the ZITF Media Indaba hosted by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on Thursday.
The Indaba was attended by Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere and several key figures in both the broadcasting and creative sectors.
In his speech, VP Mohadi said that the interface that President Mnangagwa had with content creators from the city in 2019 and 2021 was an illustration of the fact that Government held the city’s creative sector in high regard.
“In 2019 and 2021 respectively, the president had a meeting with the creative sector. The president understands the value of this city and its connection to the creative economy of this nation. There, the Ministry of Information is taking a leaf from His Excellency to continue unlocking more opportunities that this city can input into the creative economy,” he said.
VP Mohadi described the indaba as an ideal platform for players in the creative sector to connect with broadcasters that had mushroomed in the country, as the Second Republic lived up to its promise of freeing up the country’s airwaves.
“We need a well-connected media sector that has an inclusive ecosystem for content creators, scriptwriters, journalists, and other technical ambits of the sector. This is why the ZITF media indaba draws its expertise from the Zimbabwe Media Commission, parastatals, and the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting namely, ZBC, Zimpapers, Trust Media, and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe.
“We are also tapping into the technical expertise of content creators. I am also grateful that this gathering also brings an opportunity for newly established media houses such as Ke Yona TV, Nkululeko/Rusunguko TV and ZBC News 24 to network with content creators. I am also delighted that the media academia is part of this indaba,” he said.
