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Elliot Ziwira-Senior Reporter

Behold, a new baby, the Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) Prime, has been born. 

The wait may have been long as the traditional nine months had lapsed; the journey so tedious that a miscarriage could not be ruled out, particularly by those imbued with doom; but, with stars beckoning her on, like all mothers whose wombs carry only greatness, Zimpapers, the proverbial media behemoth, held on. 

“It has been a long pregnancy”, Zimpapers chief executive officer Pikirayi Deketeke says, amid merrymaking as friends, family members and admirers celebrate the delivery of the miracle goddess of the airwaves. 

Doing the midwife, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, and MultiChoice, the great partner to boot,  proud, he adds, “It was an arrival, or rather the destination of a long journey”. 

“So, we are quite happy that we are finally here, and that we have a great partner in Multi-choice. It means our content will not only be in Zimbabwe but throughout the region.”

It is 8.50pm on a wintry Thursday night with the ambience of good fortune permeating the air at the Newlands Sports Club in Harare when the baby breaks the waters. 

The audience comprising the who-is-who in the entertainment industry, among other luminaries, breaks into delirium as Agga Nyabinde and his crew belts hits from his father, Bob’s discography.   

The dressing says it, for there is everything in a man’s, or is it a woman’s apparel? 

Sleek guzzlers are a common feature here, and so also are jalopies or other makes, as passion and affluence shake hands laden with love, patriotism and unity of purpose. 

As the chills bite the baby refuses to have her story harnessed any longer; unhooking it from the foot that held it for five years to spread it across the Southern African region.

There are so many stories to tell within the story, as the huge screens in beautifully decorated tents and open grounds beam, warming hearts within the expectant audience, given a sampling of what to expect on Channel 294 beginning from early next week. 

There are stories of woe, toil and expectation; stories that can also be picked from the eyes of the people gathered here-stories of journeys in the dark recesses of life that only he or she who has experienced them can tell. 

There is something for everyone here! A draw to “bless” a lucky dignitary through numbers, courtesy of ZTN Prime is on now. 

Numbers are drawn; beginning with 38, 99, 141, then 146, 176 and finally 157; but no one steps up to claim the prize. 

Could these be “unlucky” digits? Probably!

O! Madam Boss is here too, resplendent in a black outfit, striding with the fluidity and grace of a Geisha as walks to the podium to claim her prize. Yes, she has won, unrelated to numbers, though. 

Mai TT is here too, and Bhutisi. Gosh! Benjani Mwaruwari is here too, and Linda Masarira! 

And as the Zimpapers CEO aptly points out: “Audiences throughout the world are going hyper local, and we need to identify our own people, who will be able to produce the kind of quality that we are looking for at ZTN. 

“And we believe our people have the capacity to produce that content.”

As the bouncing baby is delivered, marking the beginning of a new era of greatness, plaudits usually go to the mother for the resilience and pain endured over a period of expectation. 

However, for that exhilaration of birth and parenthood to be realised there are always others to be celebrated too — the father, friends and other family members. 

Suffice to say, as a product of all, albeit in different ways, a child belongs to the community. 

Says Mr Deketeke: “For me, it’s all about building new teams that have built the scene and delivered on it. When we appointed Nomsa (Nkala) a couple of years ago, she didn’t have any experience in television, but we identified that she had a passion for content; and she understood where content can be taken. 

“She has developed this product into a real business that can be launched publicly.”

“We only partner with the best”, says MultiChoice Talent Factory director, Nwabisa Matyumza.

There is, indeed, great tidings in the making on DStv Channel 294 come May 24.