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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter

Improving the welfare of journalists is one of the areas which will come before an advisory committee to be set up by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Minister Jenfan Muswere said yesterday.

Speaking after a familiarisation tour of 3Ktv in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister said human capital development within the media sector was of importance and one of the issues he would look into as soon as possible as he sought to upgrade the industry.

“We have had discussions with CEOs from the media industry about this issue. Part of our responsibility in terms of a stakeholders’ approach is to ensure that we have a ministerial advisory committee which takes into consideration the importance of all media players.

“To be discussed are issues around broadcasting, publicity, two-way communication systems and of importance is the human capital development in terms of training and remuneration of journalists. I can assure you that issues around remuneration of journalists are close to my heart,” he said.

Minister Muswere wanted to see journalists, who have a mandate and shared responsibility to inform the nation, having all the intrinsic benefits related to their profession.

This, he said, would ensure that their welfare was taken care of so that they in turn were in a position to take care of their families.

“I want to see a robust successful media industry which also takes care of infrastructure development, recapitalisation of key areas in terms of digitisation and as I have indicated that salary issues will be looked at. In my capacity as Minister, I will take an initiative to discuss with the different players so that your welfare issues are addressed because you have the mandate to educate and inform the nation in terms of the development trajectory that we are now focusing on,” he added.

Yesterday’s familiarisation tour of 3Ktv was the Minister’s second following his visit to ZBC studios at Mbare and Pockets Hill on Tuesday.

He said all the media organisations he had visited had a positive trajectory to contribute towards the country’s economic growth.

“Everyone I have met has a positive trajectory on how best the media industry can contribute to macro-economic growth in Zimbabwe. This is my second tour in terms of the televisions and radio studios and the most important aspect that I have come to understand is that through the use of miniaturised digital equipment, 3Ktv has been in a position to reduce the cost of production at the same time to reduce the expenditure in terms of operations,” Minister Muswere said.

“It is also an efficient television station because our concern and interest as Government is that we should have more of an economic trajectory as the President has said. Politics has now taken a backseat now that we are past elections, and we should focus more on the economic trajectory as we build macro-economic growth.”

The Ministry’s vision was to have a robust private and public media sector, which would be in a position to inform the entirety of the country and citizens abroad that might have a keen interest to know what is taking place in Zimbabwe.