Twenty seven people, among them practising and retired journalists,
were on Monday interviewed by a Parliamentary select committee to sit
on the newly constituted Zimbabwe Media Commission, reports Tichaona Sibanda for SW Radio Africa.
MDC's Masvingo Urban MP Tongai Matutu, Chairman of the Standing Rules and Orders Committee, confirmed that the interviews were held from morning to late afternoon.
Parliament last month invited interested candidates to submit applications to be considered for appointment to the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, four bodies that are being set up in terms of a constitutional amendment, enacted earlier this year.
Over 600 people applied to sit on the four commissions. Matutu said those applying to be commissioners must be chosen for their knowledge and experience in the relevant field applied for.
The prospective candidates were each asked if they were chosen, what would they contribute to the Commission to make it effective, what are two key ethical issues in their profession, and how have they lived up to them.
They were also asked what are the three best practices they would bring, and their strategy for the development and use of indigenous languages in the media, as well as how they would see the relationship between the Commission and civil society.
126 people applied to sit on the ZMC but only 27 were short listed. Among those interviewed on Monday was former ZBC news anchor Godfrey Majonga, former Radio 3 disc jockey Millicent Buzuzi Mombeshora, veteran journalist and politician Kindness Paradza, and prominent lawyer and newspaper columnist Chris Mhike.
Of the 24 applicants, eight are women, three of whom are still practicing journalists, namely Miriam Madziwa, Ropafadzo Mapimhidze and Nqobile Nyathi. Others interviewed included former Chronicle reporter and now Church Pastor, Useni Sibanda, as well as media studies lecturers Clemence Mabaso, Rino Zhuwarara and Lawton Hikwa.
Click here to read the fullr eport, posted on allafrica.com.
