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The Mining Media Awards are testimony that the Chamber of Mines and Ministry of Mines and Mining Development have now woken up to the reality that for our resources to be fully unlocked, media need to be celebrated publicly and taken up as key stakeholders

Vandudzayi Zirebwa Buy Zimbabwe
One of author Marianne Williamson most famous quotes is that “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not darkness that frightens us.”
This quote appropriately captures why Zimbabwe as one of the nations with the highest growth potential in the world and one with the highest literacy rates in Africa is still struggling economically.

Zimbabwe is also one of most resource endowed countries in the world and yet it has one of the lowest per capita in the world.
Today official economic figures place us at half the size of Zambia with a Gross Domestic Product of $25 billion.

Strangely if you pay close attention to the statistics you will realise that our market is only second to that of South Africa in terms of diversification.
We export minerals as much as we export tobacco, cotton and a mix of horticultural produce. We produce machinery in as much as we contribute a significant size of human capital to all major economies.

While our President was not present at the US-Africa summit, the hosts, the US, could not resist having young Zimbabwean Tafadzwa, interview it’s President.
And oh yes, was the young Zimbabwean not equal to the task? Like a true ‘Zimbo’ he had the courage to floor Barack Obama with a question on sanctions imposed on his motherland.

For the first time, the US’s most senior politician admitted that indeed his country has a sanctions regime on Zimbabwe.
Most senior politicians in Zimbabwe have feared admitting the same.

Even American diplomats have been consistent in denying the existence of sanctions.
Like young David, who put the gigantic Goliath to his death, it took a young man to say what many local elders have feared to articulate.

In fact when former CZI president Joseph Kanyekanye publicly declared that industry wanted sanctions removed his colleagues nearly lynched him.
All that this portrays is that Zimbabwe undersells herself. She has potential to be a great country but afraid to leave up to expectations.

In biblical terms, she sometimes acts like the proverbial servant who was given a talent but chose to bury it in the sand.
When the master returned the response was swift and painful.

The talent was taken away and given to other servants who had managed to double their talents.
As Buy Zimbabwe it boggles the mind why we all do not realise that, imports mean our country is exporting wealth and jobs to other countries.

The fact that we have had a deficit of $9,6 billion in two and half years is very worrying. Minister Chinamasa believes the biggest challenge that confronts all business in Zimbabwe is the inability to lobby and positively influence the policy making arena.

He says more often than not businesses in Zimbabwe exist on the pretext that Government officials and ministers have information required to make the right decisions. He confessed that on many occasions, this analysis has turned out to be false.

Information Management Systems and related communication in Zimbabwe is either fragmented or poorly attended to.
Our country still exists in the era of old school public relations, where engagement is reduced simply to hosting cocktails or taking out politicians for dinner or holiday.
Our nation operates in terms of quick fix solutions and feels good in coming up with short term strategies as opposed to long term ones. As they say, easy come easy go.

By not investing enough in knowledge acquisition, creation, sharing and celebrating those that excel in these areas, we have become a nation that sows little and harvest little.

We need to realise we are indeed powerful beyond measure.
Our economic blue print, Zim-asset, has placed mining at the center of our economic growth and revival. However, little has been done to ensure that there is equal emphasis in building the necessary capacity in the media sector in particular to mobilise society in order to embrace this new role given to mining.

Both miners and policy makers still regard media as some irritating, interfering and worrisome entity that is at best tolerated in order to avoid them attacking you or one that is only useful to cover your well choreographed public relations event.

Rarely is the media regarded as an essential partner for development or driving a common agenda and values of prosperity, wealth creation and national pride.
In contrast countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, France and China long realised that these knowledge workers and distributors are essential for the attainment of national cohesion, stimulating productivity.

Watch how Obama is quick to issue a press statement whenever an artist passes on.
Even the Taliban too have recognised the political and economic value attached to kidnapping a journalist.

Recently the US president had to dispatch Special Forces to Iraq in the botched attempt to rescue an American journalist who sadly was later killed by his captors.
Like it or not a professional media sector is an asset to national economic growth.

That The Chamber of Mines in partnership with Mejrkh Communications have seen it prudent to hold the Mining Media Awards is thus most welcome.
In fact, modern society has come to know that people and not machines are principal assets in any enterprise.

People also perform and learn better when they are celebrated and recognised for their efforts.
The Mining Media Awards are testimony that the Chamber of Mines and Ministry of Mines and Mining Development have now woken up to the reality that for our resources to be fully unlocked, media need to be celebrated publicly and taken up as key stakeholders.

That said, awards must be seen as one in many factors required to build the capacity of the media to report professionally, objectively and without bias on matters to do with a complex sector in which economics, nationalism, capital allocation, local procurement versus global risk aversion sit uncomfortably with each other.

For Zimbabwe, the sector is also going a through fundamental transformation and currently battling to define a model where communities benefit while at the same time ensuring that those who bring in capital secure a reasonable return on investment.

A well equipped media cadre can be a useful ally for miners, the country and policy makers.
The Mining industry and Government need to work collaboratively in supporting the training of local journalists as well as explore ways and means to develop greater understanding of issues that impact positively or negatively in the growth of mining.

Miners must also desist from treating their operations like some secret military camps where access is denied to media.
They need to embrace a culture in which media personnel feels welcome to share, ask and question day to day operational decisions.

While Mine Entra has been a good initiative it has become an exhibition platform for suppliers.
Miners go there for an odd conference as well as sourcing the latest machinery for use in their business.

The time has arrived to start a programme where mines seek to exhibit what they do.
Only then will greater society relate to them better.

At least Mining Media Awards are a step in the right direction.
The time to believe we can grow Zimbabwe to greatness is now.

Till we meet again.

God bless.

[email protected], cell, 00263773751878.