Harare, (New Ziana) – Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda has challenged the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust (ZMMT) to undertake bold reforms, embrace modern technologies and develop innovative revenue streams to ensure the sustainability of its media and commercial entities in a rapidly changing industry.
Speaking during his inaugural meeting with the ZMMT Board of Trustees in Harare on Wednesday, Dr Soda said the Trust could no longer rely on models that may have worked in the past, urging its leadership to confront difficult decisions and reposition its operations in response to technological and economic changes.
He said the transformation of the media environment, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid expansion of digital platforms, required the Trust and its entities to continuously reinvent themselves.
“Where we conclude that approaches and models which worked in 2002 are now outdated or no longer fit for purpose because of technological advancement, we must be prepared to discontinue, reform or reinvent them in order to align with contemporary requirements,” he said.
Dr Soda said the meeting, which was delayed from earlier in the year because of scheduling challenges, provided an important platform for the government and the Trust to assess progress, identify challenges and chart a sustainable course for the institutions under its stewardship.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining regular engagement between the government and its entities to ensure that they remain focused on their mandates.
“It is important that we maintain regular contact to ensure that we are marching in lockstep as we strive to deliver on the Ministry’s mandate of information dissemination and, in the case of some of your entities, the gathering and dissemination of news,” he said.
The ZMMT has undergone significant changes since its establishment in 1981 to take over the management of news media operations that had previously been controlled by what Dr Sodas described as hostile interests.
Its operations were discontinued in 2002 before the Trust was resuscitated in February 2020, by which time the media landscape had undergone profound changes.
Dr Soda said the COVID-19 lockdowns had accelerated changes in the way people communicate and consume news, making technological adaptation imperative for traditional media institutions.
He commended efforts by the management of the Trust to revive its entities, particularly New Ziana and Kingstons, despite limited human and financial resources.
“I have perused the documents prepared by management for this meeting and note the commendable efforts being made to revive Trust entities, particularly New Ziana and Kingstons, despite limited human and financial resources,” he said.
Dr Soda however, said the current fiscal environment meant that government entities could not depend indefinitely on increased Treasury allocations.
He acknowledged concerns that the Trust raised over budget reductions and its request for increased Treasury funding, but said fiscal constraints were affecting the government across the board, as the country pursued development programs.
“This means that we, as senior government officials, should identify measures to improve the performance and sustainability of our entities, thereby enabling them to become more self-reliant,” he said.
Dr Sodas challenged the ZMMT Board and management to study the way private-sector media organizations were responding to the changing environment and adopt relevant approaches that could improve the financial sustainability of its entities.
“The question we should ask ourselves is: what approaches are being adopted by the private sector in this rapidly changing media environment? We should examine and, where appropriate, adopt relevant methods in order to reduce our entities’ dependence on Treasury support,” he said.
He called for the rapid adoption of modern methods of news gathering and distribution, alongside diversification of business operations and the development of sustainable revenue-generating initiatives.
Dr Soda also highlighted the strategic importance of the eight community newspapers under the Trust, describing them as important channels for the government to communicate with, and engage rural communities.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the eight community newspapers under your stewardship remain steadfast pillars of Government’s plans to deliver development to rural areas. They are important channels through which Government communicates and engages with its people,” he said.
Attention was also drawn to the future of Kingstons, whose operations have undergone major changes in recent years.
Dr Soda noted that Cabinet resolved in 2018 to liquidate various components of Kingstons, while in 2022 the ZMMT Board supervised the retrenchment of employees and closure of Kingstons Limited, effectively ending its participation in the stationery industry, which it had previously dominated.
He challenged the Board to examine whether Kingstons could make a commercially viable return to the stationery sector.
“It is incumbent upon your Board to explore viable avenues for re-entering that sector, if possible. The need for stationery and related products remains, and the task before the Board and management is to consider whether Kingstons can be repositioned, restructured or revived in a manner that is commercially viable and responsive to present-day market conditions,” said.
As the media landscape becomes increasingly dominated by social media platforms, Dr Soda said the role of established media organisdations in providing verified information had become even more important.
He said the government expected ZMMT entities, including Zimpapers, New Ziana and the community newspapers, to maintain their role as credible sources of information for Zimbabweans.
“In this era of social media, fake news and misinformation, your role is more critical than ever. We expect ZMMT, through Zimpapers, New Ziana and the community newspapers, to be a source of verified and credible information for every Zimbabwean, particularly in our rural communities,” he said.
Dr Soda urged the Trust to ensure that its media platforms provide accurate coverage of the country’s development trajectory, investment opportunities, heritage and future.
“You must present an accurate and credible account of Zimbabwe’s development, investment opportunities, heritage and future,” he said.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana, also attended the meeting.
The ZMMT Board of Trustees comprises chairperson Advocate Honour Mkushi, vice chairperson Group Captain (Rtd) Dr Patience Gawe, and Trustees Thomas Sithole, Naome Muzvidziwa and Monalisa Mketiwa Moyo.
New Ziana
