Staff Reporter
The Government has informed the media to freely conduct its duties during the 23 August 2023 Harmonised General Elections.
Speaking at the briefing note on the state of preparedness of the media in covering the 23 August General Elections, today, the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Kindness Paradza advised that the Government of Zimbabwe had always assured the media its freedom to conduct its Fourth Estate role freely.
“The media is the Fourth Estate and election contestations and messaging plays out in the Media. On that note let me begin by noting that during elections, and at all times, the Government of Zimbabwe always guarantees the media the freedom to operate freely and execute its duties without fear or favour,” said the Minister.
Paradza mentioned that several training workshops for journalists were carried out by the Government and stakeholders to prepare them for the August 2023 elections.
The Minister informed that the workshops that were conducted by the Government and other relevant stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), and Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) focusing on the training of trainers on election reporting.
The Minister further advised that the distribution of time on broadcast platforms was being done fairly.
“Free prime-time slots for debates and discussions on election issues and Live Coverage of Political and Election Events are being provided to all political players. These programmes offer a platform for political players. These programmes offer a platform for political parties to discuss their policies and engage in constructive dialogue. Such discussions are crucial in fostering an informed electorate,” said the Minister.
However, the Minister bemoaned the stunt by opposition political parties of refusing to participate in the free prime-time.
This election is the first one to be held at a time when the country`s soft power is truly on the rise. In 2018, when the Second Republic formed its Government, the narrative in the media was riddled with negativity and residual perceptions of the previous Republic. The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services put in place strategies to protect and differentiate the 2nd Republic from the Old. The strategies included news reporting techniques of making sure that the country asserted its soft power and restored its leadership status in the region.
