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 Lovemore Chikova in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has called for media in developing countries to play a big role in challenging the stereotypes being imposed on developing countries by Western media.

In her remarks at the 6^th BRICS Media Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, today, Minister Mutsvangwa said the oppressive global order was inhibiting genuine independence.

“Our nations must know each other and the media has a franchising effect to that cause,” she said. “The media helps to curate the interwoven connections of our cultures, politics and economies. In the SADC, we share a political soul that shapes the values of economic integration, BRICS forms that benchmark of a shared economic future.

“It will be recalled that, the third-world is designated as “developing” specifically on account of the oppressive global order that has inhibited genuine economic independence.

“Such stereotypes and framings are media discursive outputs. Inversely, they invite a new telling of our story and re-imagination of the Global-South and the media is the relevant driver to that agenda.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said this year’s edition of the BRICS Media Forum was reigniting the global South’s media anchored solidarity against the monopoly of linear imperialist narratives.

She commended the theme of the forum: “BRICS and Africa: Strengthening Media Dialogue for a Shared and Unbiased Future” which she said offered a rethink to the oligopoly fixations of power.

“It re-emphasizes the very existence of BRICS as an emerging multilateral alternative that seeks to humanize politics and give incentive to reciprocal multilateralism,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said the successes of Zimbabwe’s partnership with countries on the BRICS platform had solicited pro-West media annihilation of Chinese investments in the country.

“This calls for a pro-active media intervention and herein lies the significance of the collaboration which this summit envisages,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa bemoaned the negative effects of the illegal and unilateral sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States for the past 23 years.

“Africa as a whole faces the scourge of neo-colonialism as a real menace to our progress as it stifles investment,” she said. “Subsequently, illicit financial flows have dominated the extractive sector.

“As part of circumventing this harmorrhage of our economy, the Second-Republic has been engaged in massive value addition, especially to the fledging lithium sector.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe, under the astute leadership of President Mnangagwa was working to ensure that road, rail, air and digital communication facilities and networks were world class.

This, she said, would ensure support for the anticipated growth in common South to South development.

She in that regard, Africa needed to accelerate the revamping of its communication networks to facilitate trade between and among its people.

The BRICS Media Forum was launched in 2015 at the initiative of Xinhua News Agency of China in partnership with leading media outlets in Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.

Over the past eight years, the BRICS media have made full use of this platform to promote exchanges, mutual learning, practical cooperation and common development.

Upholding the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and mutual benefit, the Forum has been playing a key role in increasing the voice of the BRICS countries and strengthening friendship, cooperation and mutual trust and learnings among BRICS peoples and civilizations.

This year’s forum was attended by media personal from BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.

Representatives from media in several African countries were also invited to the forum.