Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Mr. Nick Mangwana
By Dickson Bandera
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Mr. Nick Mangwana, on Wednesday officially commissioned the Ministry’s pavilion at the 65th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which commenced on Monday in Bulawayo.
The Ministry’s pavilion is envisioned as a dynamic hub for engagement and dialogue, fostering discussions on government policy, the evolving media landscape, and the promotion of public access to information.
The event was attended by journalists from various media houses, spanning both private and public sectors.
This year, the Ministry has forged strategic partnerships with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Transmedia, and renowned local podcaster DJ Ollah 7 to enhance the visibility and interactivity of its presence at the trade fair.
Through this collaboration, the pavilion will offer dynamic live updates, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and comprehensive real-time coverage of the trade showcase, ensuring broad access and engagement across diverse media platforms.
Speaking at the commissioning, Mr. Mangwana highlighted the Ministry’s inclusive approach this year, incorporating podcasters, the national broadcaster, as well as community and campus radio stations, and the signal carrier.
“So, for the first time, we are working together with media houses in a different way than we have done over the past few years. In our pavilion there, we have ZBC. They actually have a cubicle where they are broadcasting directly to the audience from.
“We have Transmedia, which is our signal carrier. They are also acting as an outlet for set of boxes. So, those who want set of boxes and need certain set of boxes to be able to access the platforms of all the televisions that we licensed in the last few years and that we put on air in the last few years, you can access that in this pavilion,” he said.
“But in this very pavilion, we are also showing what media encompasses. And media encompasses podcasts as well. So, you will find that we do have a live podcaster in there. DJ Ola is based in there. So, we will be doing live broadcasting from there. We have one of our community radio stations and a community campus,” he noted.
Mr. Mangwana urged the media to give coverage to side events and innovations being showcased during the exhibition.
“We will be most grateful if you cover all side events, because they are part of this year’s calendar. We would like to see your imagination. By covering those things that you believe are innovative, they make a difference. Are they are different from what you saw in the last few years. You have a responsibility to inform the media, as well as to inform the public,” he said.
He also announced the upcoming ZITF Media Indaba, scheduled for 11am on Thursday 24 April 2025 at the National Gallery in Bulawayo, where partners and stakeholders in the media industry will gather to discuss key issues affecting the sector.
“We have held this, I think this is the third one. We have lecturers from the media sector, players from the media sector, other stakeholders, including media students and current media practitioners.
“We will be discussing all the subjects around the media in the development in this sector. The industrial challenges that we are facing in the sector as well.
“It’s both a very enlightening platform in the sense of it’s a discursive and a discourse where the media can express themselves as players. But it’s also very enlightening in the sense that those things that you believe cannot be said. This is a platform where you actually be speaking directly to policy makers and stakeholders in the centre,” he said.
The 65th edition of the ZITF is running under the theme “Innovation: Crafting an Integrated Economic Landscape.”
The trade fair continues throughout the week, with the President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Daniel Chapo, scheduled to officially open the fair on Friday, 25 April 2025.
The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) has evolved into more than just a commercial exhibition; it now stands as a powerful symbol of Zimbabwe’s resilience, ambition, and steady industrial advancement as the nation marches toward its vision of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
