The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has decentralised its services by opening a regional office in Bulawayo, to make it easier for media practitioners and citizens in Matabeleland to access much-needed services.
Since its inception, the Commission has been operating from its head office in Harare, which made it difficult for citizens living far away from the capital to obtain services.
As a result, media practitioners and journalists had to travel to Harare for accreditation services or to register their media outlets, while the ZMC also had to conduct outreach programmes to reach out to all stakeholders across the country.
Speaking at the launch of the regional office on Thursday at Windsor Park Complex, Chairperson of the ZMC, Professor Ruby Magosvongwe said the difficulties were set to improve in line with the devolution agenda, which is why the commission felt it appropriate to cascade down to the district level.
“The ZMC considers the establishment of this regional office a milestone and in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS)1 devolution agenda. It is within the stride to contribute to the realisation of NDS1 and Vision 2030 for increased service delivery and the need to connect with people that ZMC decided to reach out to all provinces by way of opening regional offices,” she said.
“The commission will be more accessible to its clients and stakeholders by bringing services to their doorstep.”
Prof Magosvongwe claimed ZMC has committed itself to opening four regional offices starting with the Bulawayo office, which will service the city as well as Matabeleland North and South province.
“The opening of the Bulawayo office is the initial step in opening other ZMC regional offices that include Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland this year. We hope and believe with time and resources permitting, the office will cascade down to district levels in the spirit of Devolution Agenda,” said the chairperson.
She added that ZMC hoped the Bulawayo Regional Office will go a long way in affording people and media stakeholders in Matabeleland, relatively easy access to services.
“It is also envisaged that with the proximity of the ZMC regional office to the people, dialogue between the ZMC and the local communities and media practitioners will be improved. We call upon all media practitioners and stakeholders to make use of this office in accessing the required services with ease,” said Prof Magosvonge.
Meanwhile the ZMC chairperson said, guided by their constitutional mandate the ZMC has adopted various programmes to promote the growth of a national media that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of Zimbabweans.
“We believe the media plays a catalytic role in galvanising support for development at any level. Furthermore, we desire a media that speaks to issues using the peoples local language so people appreciate and understand issues better when news and information is given in the local idiom that they identify with and easily understand,” said Prof Magosvongwe.
“It is the desire of this commission to promote growth media at a the local level that will assist in bringing people in the information grid making them active participants in the development matrix as envisaged in the NDS1.”
ZMC is one of the five constitutional Chapter 12 Independent commissions and its current Board of Commissioners took office in October 2020 and after taking office, the Board started working on the ZMC and the Freedom of Information Act.
Representing the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Bulawayo, Judith Ncube, Ebesta Lumeli also concurred opening regional offices as the first step in bringing service closer to the people, making services more accessible.
