By Sharon Tawuya
Bulawayo, (New Ziana)- Investing in communication is not an expense but a strategic investment to enable the government to counter misinformation, disseminate developmental programmes and promote the country’s image, a Cabinet Minister has said.
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Zhemu Soda said this on Thursday at the on-going pre-Budget Seminar being held in Bulawayo.
He was responding to recommendations of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on consultations that it held with stakeholders ahead of the 2027 National Budget presentation.
“Investing in government communication is investing in national cohesion, transparency and development,” he said.
Dr Soda said his Ministry was pushing for completion of the digitalisation project, modernisation of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, recapitalisation of New Ziana and expansion of Transmedia signal coverage to ensure no one and no place was left behind.
He said funding for transmitters and community radio stations was critical to ensure remote communities access information, while operationalising the Broadcasting Fund would ensure sustainability of community radios and local content creators.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services had called for increased funding for New Ziana, Transmedia, ZBC and other departments under the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
Presenting the outcomes of the consultations, Committee chairperson Vincent Sihlabo said the parastatals and departments were critically underfunded in the 2025 allocation, hampering government communication and digitalisation programmes.
He said New Ziana, which is mandated to provide news agency services and community newspapers, had failed to fully execute its mandate due to inadequate budgetary support, with the same applying to Transmedia, responsible for transmission infrastructure, and ZBC.
According to the Committee’s Consolidated Recommendations for the 2027 Budget, Treasury should disburse ZWG127 million owed to the Ministry from 2024-2025 through a transparent payment framework and provide predictable, timely releases aligned to approved quarterly work plans.
The Committee also called for resumption of capital grant disbursements with quarterly reporting on releases, expenditure and completed assets.
For digitalisation, the Committee recommended US$5 million for priority Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) infrastructure and publication of a commissioning schedule, saying delays were affecting signal quality and national coverage.
On New Ziana, the Committee specifically recommended that the Treasury consider an additional ZWG26.557 million to protect core operations and printing.
The Committee further called for urgent support for community radio stations, which it said were struggling with governance, staffing and transmitter challenges despite being critical for devolution and local languages.
“Create a dedicated support mechanism for governance, staffing and transmitters,” it said.
On broadcasting, the Committee recommended operationalisation of the Broadcasting Fund through the Broadcasting Bill with accountability safeguards, and an assessment of the effects of fee reductions under Statutory Information 103 of 2026 on Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) revenue and sector sustainability.
Sihlabo told the Seminar that the Ministry requires increased funding to cover digitisation, content production, equipment and retooling.
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