Mandiwanzira gushes over Moyo partnership

via Mandiwanzira gushes over Moyo partnership New Zimbabwe

ZANU PF legislator and deputy minister Supa Mandiwanzira on Tuesday told of his delight at working with information minister Jonathan Moyo as he bade farewell to former employees at ZIFM radio station in Harare.

The former ZBC business journalist was appointed Moyo’s side-kick in President Robert Mugabe’s new cabinet after winning elections in Nyanga North constituency on a Zanu PF ticket.

“I don’t think I would have wished to be a deputy to anybody else except Professor Jonathan Moyo because of two reasons. Number one, he is a hard-working man, so I will learn how to be a hard-working man,” he told staffers attending the shindig.

“Number two, he has the great experience of a teacher at the University of Zimbabwe. He’s very sharp and intelligent, so I am under the tutorship of a great teacher. I am grateful working with Professor Jonathan Moyo.”

Despite being associated with Zanu PF for a long time, Mandiwanzira also claimed to be a reluctant recruit to politics.

“I went into politics reluctantly and thought I would serve the people of Nyanga but here I am, serving the interest of the whole nation,” he said.

“I am humbled by the appointment by President Mugabe. I was shocked when my name was called out that I should go to State House during a Parliament workshop and was even more humbled when I was presented with my letter of appointment.”

He was granted a licence to run one of the country’s two privately-owned radio stations in a process that was bitterly criticised by the opposition MDC-T party which said it was biased towards applicants aligned to Zanu PF.

The other licence was handed to Star FM which is owned by the pro-Mugabe Zimpapers group.

New broadcasters to be licenced … Supa Mandiwanzira on Tuesday

Mandiwanzira, who had to leave his radio station following his election as an MP, however said new broadcasters would be licenced, opening up opportunities in independent production.

“Zimbabweans must brace up to the opportunity of content development because there will be multiple channels,” he said.

“Producers should start to work on other quality productions as airwaves would be soon opened.”

The 75 percent local content introduced by Moyo in his stint as information minister would however remain in place and must be adhered to, Mandiwanzira added.

“The law requires that 75 percent of our content be produced by Zimbabweans I don’t think there is anyone who is opposed to that,” he said.

“There is no one who is opposed to ZBC playing 75 percent local content but I know that there are people who are opposed to national television and radio stations broadcasting 75 percent local content that is trash.

“We will be working on improving the standards of our local content.”