Zimpapers Journalists Dominate Media Awards

25 NOV, 2020 - 00:11 

Zimpapers public relations and corporate affairs manager Ms Beatrice Tonhodzayi (in green) poses for a photograph with the group’s journalists who won prizes in National Journalism And Media Awards in Harare yesterday. — Picture: Justin Mutenda

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

Journalists from the country’s largest integrated media house, Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited (Zimpapers) dominated the National Journalism and Media Awards (Njama) 2020 held in Harare yesterday, accounting for eight of the 13 awards on offer.

Njama is an annual event coordinated by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) in partnership with several sponsors.

The Herald’s Tadious Manyepo scooped the Sports Reporter of the Year Award, while Takudzwa Chihambakwe from the Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) was the Business Journalist of the Year.

The Herald’s Tadious Manyepo scooped the Sports Reporter of the Year Award.

Takudzwa Chihambakwe from the Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) was the Business Journalist of the Year.

The Herald’s Kariba bureau chief Walter Nyamukondiwa bagged the Local Tourism Journalist of the Year gong, while Leonard Ncube from Chronicle won the Gender-Based Violence Journalist of the Year award.

Ray Bande from The Manica Post scooped the Mining Journalist of the Year Award, while Muchaneta Chimuka from Kwayedza was the Arts, Culture and Entertainment Journalist of the Year.

Muchaneta Chimuka from Kwayedza was the Arts, Culture and Entertainment Journalist of the Year.

The Herald’s Features, Health and Society editor Roselyne Sachiti and Robin Muchetu, a senior reporter at Sunday News, received Special Recognition Awards.

Zimpapers public relations and corporate affairs manager Ms Beatrice Tonhodzayi said they were happy that the company’s journalists continued to maintain dominance in the media industry.

“We are so excited as Zimpapers because we sponsored the best reporter of the year awards and we were so excited to see our journalist dominating the awards,” she said.

“It is an honour to see our journalists being rewarded for excellence. I want to say congratulations to all the winners and we want them to continue with the hard work which they are doing.”

ZUJ president Michael Chideme said they wanted to grow the event into the biggest media awards in Africa.

“We want to thank all the companies that are here, banks, newspapers and organisations that have seen it fit to sponsor the journalistic awards and made them the premier awards that they are today. So to you all, I would like to say it is good to start your preparations for the 2021 awards now,” he said.

The primary aim of the awards is to ensure journalistic and ethical conduct within the industry and to honour excellence in the media fraternity.