Byo Journos Shine At Inaugural Mining Media Awards

CHRONICLE senior features reporter, Factmore Dzobo, and the paper’s features correspondent, Lungelo Ndhlovu, scooped first prizes at the inaugural 2014 Mining Media Awards held in Harare last Friday, shrugging off stiff competition from more than 100 journalists who submitted their entries. 
Dzobo and Ndhlovu were each presented with certificates, trophies and prize money for their compelling reportage on mining issues in Zimbabwe.
Last month, Dzobo received a handshake from President Mugabe at the Sadc summit held in Victoria Falls after he scooped the first prize in the 2014 Sadc Media Awards (print category), two years after winning the same award at another regional summit held in Mozambique.

In the latest achievement, Dzobo won in the Corporate Social Responsibility and Environment Category for his feature story on communities who were living in poverty amidst gold riches in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province. The story also highlighted the need for mining companies to plough back in communities where they run their operations.

Ndhlovu scooped the first prize in the Small Scale Mining category. The winning entry highlighted the need for the mining sector and policy makers to find ways of raising awareness about health, safety and dangers associated with the industry.

The prizes were handed to the winners by the Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Supa Mandiwanzira.
Cde Mandiwanzira urged journalists to report on the benefits and challenges in the mining industry which he said was a key driver of the country’s economy.

“Media is the only tool that can act as a watchdog for the miners and policy makers in the mining sector. Journalists should highlight some challenges faced by miners as it is one of the main sectors which can promote the country’s economic growth,” said Cde Mandiwanzira.

The awards were organised and introduced this year by the Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) and MEJRKH in partnership with the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, Anglo American, Mwana Africa, Zimplats, Mimosa Mining, Rio Tinto, Cell Insurance, ZIFM and Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) to motivate journalists to write about mining issues.