SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO-Veteran journalist and The Mirror Consultant, Matthew Takaona has been elected to lead the the revival of Community Newspapers Association of Zimbabwe (CNAZ) after it had been dormant for years due to various reasons.
Takaona has been tasked with reviving the voice of the community newspapers so that it occupies its rightful place in serving the information starved nation.
Takaona is aa veteran journalist who has worked for The Financial Gazette, The Sunday Mail and The Herald at the highest level. He was the president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists for more than 10 years and was instrumental in the formation of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe among amny other initiatives.
The elections were conducted virtually by Loughty Dube, the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) executive director and Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum (ZINEF) national coordinator Njabulo Ncube with ten publishers in attendance.
Takaona was elected as the chairperson, Owen Matava as the vice chairperson, Willie Mponda as the secretary general, Chipo Gudhe as the Treasurer and Committee members are Flata Kavinga, James Muonwa and Nyasha Marumbi.
Dumisani Ntsanwisi the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) executive member in charge of Community Media addressed the meeting and called upon community media organizations in Zimbabwe to reclaim their true position of being the voice of the people.
“Zimbabwe community media players should be ready to participate in continental events as a united front to receive much-needed support”, said Ntsanwisi.
Takaona in his acceptance speech said that the organization has not been active for the past years and there is lot of work that lies ahead for the team as the organisation has to be visible in and outside the country in the shortest period of time.
“CNAZ has remained cocooned locally in a world that has become a global village and the mandate of this committee is to connect CNAZ locally and internationally.
“I am grateful for the process that has just started and from now onwards the programs will be coordinated by our secretary general and he will be seized with drafting the roadmap of the organization so that we start moving,” said Takaona.
Mponda also added that the new committee should spearhead meetings and brainstorm ideas on how the organisation can be vibrant and visible again.
Dube challenged the committee to hit the ground running as there is not much time since the organisation was almost defunct hence the need to quickly revive it.
