via Prop up Zim-Asset cause, Mupfumira tells Zimpapers | The Herald July 16, 2015
Zimpapers has been urged to refocus, through its media products, on propping up the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) and rallying people on economic recovery.
Addressing the integrated media group’s board yesterday, following her appointment as Acting Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services last week, Minister Prisca Mupfumira said there was need to refocus, streamline and consolidate products before moving to new projects.
“Secondly, there is a key editorial question which we must resolve jointly,” she said. “Very soon I shall have an opportunity to discuss this matter with all your editors so that we read from the same page.
“What is obvious to me is that zimpapers products should and must reflect the pre-occupations of this society and a key part of these pre-occupations is Zim-Asset, our economic blueprint. Often we have wasted our energies on profitless conflict, to the exclusion of bread and butter issues, themselves the pith of national life. We must refocus national energies towards the economic recovery question so we beat sanctions.”
Minister Mupfumira said the future of zimpapers was bright after it set a realistic growth path for itself.
“We have to ensure zimpapers is on even keel as a business proposition,” she said. “Its figures must balance, its conduct must be clean, aboveboard, and must confirm all principles of corporate governance. Government expects no less.”
Minister Mupfumira said while embarking on new projects and undertaking new purchases and assignments, zimpapers ought to remain conscious of the ‘need to bite what it can chew’.
She said it was important for zimpapers to read and gauge the market well.
“It is no mark of heroism to display tombstones of well-meant ventures that come to grief, in the process imperilling the whole group,” said Minister Mupfumira.
“Thirdly, zimpapers must set a realistic growth path for itself. And that growth path must be time honoured and must measure up to its purse.”
Minister Mupfumira, who is also the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, was appointed the Acting Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services to replace Professor Jonathan Moyo, who was reassigned to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.
COMMENTS
So according to the government of Zimbabwe, the role of the press is to support the policies of the government of Zimbabwe. I guess these people have never heard about the concept of editorial independence, whereby the press writes about whatever topics they think people will want to, or need to know about so that they can make decisions about their own lives. In most societies, the press keeps the government on it’s toes – and the public benefits. In Zimbabwe, the official press is a turgid government mouthpiece that no one believes or cares about.
This whole perspective is part of a theme that dovetails exactly with the recent revelation that the Finance Ministry plays with the economic figures to support government policies, even when they are factually wrong. And the same thing happens with weather and agricultural figures in Zimbabwe – they are tailored to support Government policies (ahem, that is to avoid making the government look foolish because of inept governing).
Maybe Zimpapers can “prop up” Zimasset by announcing that govt has provided 2,2million jobs by letting everyone register as a vendor?