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RESPONSE to “Zim can fund own programmes — ED”. Command Agriculture was a good example of the country’s resourcefulness. We need more ideas of that nature, no looking back. — G Mlilo

I HAVE noted with great concern how the media of late has been taking its consumers for granted. There has been a tendency by both the print and electronic media to churn out programming in vernacular, especially Shona, on platforms where English is supposed to be the main medium of conversation. It is no longer unusual to read a very long quote in Shona in a local newspaper without translation. Radio or TV could not be outdone, as presenters find it OK to bombard us with Shona language on English platforms. While it is OK to use vernacular here and there, it is also wrong to over use it. There are mediums that were put aside for content in local languages and media houses must respect consumers by not concluding everyone is Shona and therefore limit its use on English platforms. Main culprits have been Star FM, Power FM, ZTV and The Sunday Mail. I hope every editor or station manager worth his or her salt will make moves to correct this anomaly which has since taken root. — Paul Dube, Bulawayo

WHY are tobacco farmers being paid only $50 after selling their tobacco at auction floors? I am staying with a farmer who has been going to join the queue at the bank at 3AM each day failing to get money to take home to pay his workers and transporters. Surely, after earning the country much needed foreign currency, the farmer should have priority at banks. If any printing of money is necessary, it should be for producers like farmers. This tobacco is for export to earn the country foreign currency. It’s not inflationary to print money for producers. Imagine the farmer has $60 000 in the bank but can’t access cash to pay his or her employees. The RBZ must be sensitive to producers. — Albert Nhamoyebonde