Media should foster peace: Minister Mutsvangwa
The Zimbabwean media space has opened up since the ushering in of the new dispensation. Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) reporter Tinomuda Chakanyuka (TC) had an interview with Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa (MM) to take stock of progress made in reforming the media. Below are excerpts of the interview.
TC: Can you give us an overview of your 100-day plan: the hits and misses of your first 100 days in office?
MM: We have put our 100 days with that in mind, that we should not miss it. We chose five projects, which we are sure we will be able to meet the targets on. One is about empowering people in rural areas, just making sure we give them access to radio and television. The public screen viewing is one of the most important ones, which we have also been working on. We are also working on AIPPA. We have also been doing a lot of work in making sure that digitisation comes to a point where we can say that people are enjoying the investment, which is being done by Government. A lot of money has already been put down, almost $16 million on digitisation.
The project started in 2015, and should have been finished by now and should have given us a wide spectrum in terms of watching TV. Last time I was in Kariba. I also went to Binga, and the people in Binga were telling me that they were watching TV and listening to radio from Zambia. We are saying as a ministry, information is power, we want our people to listen to what the Government is doing.
The Second Republic is a Government for the people, a Government with a listening President and as such we want our people to hear what Government projects are in place, what the President is saying, and know what Government ministers and parastatals are doing. We want everybody on board, we don’t want to leave anyone behind.
We are trying as much as possible to make sure that we have transmitters in all those areas where they are not accessing radio and TV. And I must say in certain areas like Kanyemba, we are working very hard to make sure that by the end of this month they will be able to have a public screening TV and radio. So these are some of the projects that we are working on.
TC: You mentioned the digitisation project as one of the five projects that you are embarking on. The project has been underway for a long time now and we have missed deadlines on a couple of occasions. What are the major challenges encountered?
MM: Just some three weeks ago as the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services I went around the country together with our CEOs from Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) and Transmedia which is a signal company and our Permanent Secretary.
We took it upon ourselves to visit the projects in the areas of Binga, Kamativi, and also in Hwange just to make sure that we understand how far we are in terms of at least making people in those areas have access.
There are transmitters which have been finished and they are fully digitalised and we feel that those people around those areas can start benefiting from this investment which has been done since 2015. The project should have been completed by 2016, unfortunately we could not meet the deadline. The biggest challenge was financial constraints especially when it comes to foreign currency which is needed to pay for the equipment and all inputs needed.
But I must say a lot of work has been done and we have transmitters which are already fully digital. And we feel that with set top boxes we can be able then to provide or the people can actually buy.
We are looking at many possibilities, public private partners to make sure that at least the provision of these set top boxes which will allow the people not to change their TV but rather to use those so that they can become fully digital. We saw it in Kamativi, Hwange and Binga. Those transmitters are fully digital, what is drawing us behind is that we don’t have set top boxes yet. I am glad that Government has realised the importance of finishing the digitisation. This project has got to be completed because it will give us a wider spectrum and everybody in Zimbabwe will be able to listen to Zimbabwe radio and watch Zimbabwe TV, that is what we want. We also want more TV channels so that people will have choice. We want competition, good quality and content and people of Zimbabwe have the opportunity to have a variety and choose from those. That can only happen if we have gone fully digital.
The advantages of digitisation are wide and a lot of our people will enjoy watching their own TV and radio. There are still challenges here and there. When I visited Kamativi and Hwange I realised that yes some of our transmitters are fully digital, but we may have the problem of access to electricity. So when that happens, it becomes very expensive because we have to use generators which need diesel that again becomes a challenge. We are working with all the ministries because this is a project for Zimbabwe, not only this ministry.
We are working together with relevant ministries to make sure that wherever our transmitters have been installed and fully digitalised, let us have electricity so that our people in the nearest future should start watching ZBC through satellite. This is what the people want and this is what we are going to provide.
In any case, our President has created this democratic space where everyone has got to have access to information, no matter where one is.
TC: You did mention that Government realises the need to finish the digitisation project, are you working with a specific deadline for the full completion of the project?
MM: We would like to finish digitisation as quickly as possible.
But you will agree with me that Zimbabwe is going through difficult times when it comes to foreign currency and most of the equipment is imported, that requires a lot of foreign currency.
There are some priorities, there is foreign currency needed for medication because it is critical that we have medication in our hospitals. There is also foreign currency needed for fuel and it is critical that the Government is leaving no stone unturned to ease fuel queues.
We are happy at least Minister of Finance put aside at least $39 million just to make sure that we continue with that project. Obviously that will not be enough to complete the project, but it will certainly make us move. As soon as the foreign currency situation gets better, we will be able to finish the project.
TC: Will that project only benefit the national broadcaster?
MM: We said once the digitisation is complete there is full spectrum, there is capacity to bring even 12 channels. We are planning on bringing six television channels in the nearest future. We are looking forward to that competition, it’s good, it’s healthy and it gives Zimbabweans the opportunity to watch a variety of content.
If you want to watch sport, if you want to watch Educational programmes, this is what we want. I think Zimbabweans deserve better and certainly there is no way that we cannot get there.
TC: There have been issues with other players in the industry that inasmuch as the Government is licensing new players, the licensing is done along partisan lines to such an extent that as we may have media plurality we may not have diversity. What is your response to that?
MM: I think that was in the past in the First Republic maybe, but the Second Republic is looking at giving an opportunity to every Zimbabwean who finds himself in a position that they would like to own a television.
The process is going to be transparent and accountable. BAZ will be able to advertise and make sure that everybody has access to that information, when and what to do to get that licence, everything will be transparent .
We are also looking at community radios and the question has been what is the definition of community radios, who is the community and that is critical and as the Government we feel that the community out there, traditional leaders, the DA, people in that particular area should actually own those radio. Government will only come to help in setting up but allow the community to own those radios.
TC: The opening up of airwaves or opening up of media space to private media will obviously open space for divergent views and it will come with criticism to the Government. Is the Government prepared to take criticism?
MM: I think you know it from November 2017 when the restoration of the revolutionary legacy was put into place.
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