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Prof Moyo

Senior Reporter
CHINESE Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Lin Lin yesterday met Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo to discuss issues affecting the media industry. The meeting was held at Prof Moyo’s Munhumutapa Offices. An official in the ministry who attended the meeting told reporters that Prof Moyo shared with Ambassador Lin the printing challenges in Bulawayo.
The official said Prof Moyo highlighted challenges being faced by media houses in importing newsprint from South Africa.

The minister is said to have proposed that newsprint be imported from China on better terms and to have a Chinese company providing a printing press for Bulawayo.

“Minister Moyo pointed out that Bulawayo is badly serviced in terms of printing,” said the official.
“Minister Moyo said Harare is better serviced especially following the acquisition of new state-of-the-art printing press by Zimpapers.”
The official also said Prof Moyo paid tribute to the Chinese Government for donating a high end digital Outside Broadcasting van to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

He said Prof Moyo indicated that the OB van was the only one of its kind in the region and countries like South Africa and Tanzania were keen to hire it.

The official said Prof Moyo said although ZBC was privileged to have such modern equipment, he expressed dissatisfaction on the state of the national broadcaster’s studios which are still using antiquated analogue equipment and transmission studios.

“He (Prof Moyo) expressed disappointment that ZBC was still to digitalise its studios.
“As such, he said what people watch on ZTV was still of poor quality adding that people were still to see the benefits of the high end digital equipment donated by China.”

The official said Prof Moyo highlighted that next year Zimbabwe would assume the chairmanship of Sadc and would be expected to meet the 2015 digitalisation deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union during its chairmanship.

He said Prof Moyo said Zimbabwe needed 48 transmission sites to be able to fully broadcast to the whole country on the digital platform.
The official said Prof Moyo also briefed Ambassador Lin on the new economic blue print adopted by Government, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).

The official said Prof Moyo said Zim Asset was still with the printers and will be launched by President Mugabe some time soon.
“The minister took Ambassador Lin through the various clusters in that framework and challenges that are there in the development of infrastructure and utilities,” the official said.

“He (Prof Moyo) also indicated that Finance Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa was keen to visit his Chinese counterpart as soon as possible.”
He said Ambassador Lin welcomed Zanu-PF’s resounding victory in the July 31 harmonised elections.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ambassador Lin said China was ready to work with Zimbabwe.

“In the area of information and media we can provide some support to the Zimbabwe side,” he said.
“We have provided the OB Van for ZBC and we are discussing further some assistance in other areas.
“For example, we are going to give some assistance in providing printing equipment for Zimpapers.”