AHF Launches First-Ever Provincial Media Awards, Honours Manicaland Journalists

By Evans Jona

MUTARE — The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) on Thursday inaugurated its first Provincial Media Awards in Mutare, celebrating journalists whose work has strengthened public understanding of girls’ rights, public health and community development. The ceremony, held at the Golden Peacock Hotel, brought together members of the fourth estate, government officials, development partners and community media representatives in what became a defining moment for Manicaland’s media landscape.

AHF National Medical Director Dr. Sandra Bote said the media remained central to shaping Zimbabwe’s social and developmental narrative. “The media is the lens through which people interpret their achievements, their struggles and their hopes,” she said in her opening remarks. “A strong and ethical media sector is critical for accountability, democracy and national development.”

She noted the resilience of journalists working under difficult conditions. “Our newsrooms are shrinking and the pressures are real, but journalists continue to rise above the challenges,” she said. “Your commitment to community voices is commendable.”

Awards adjudicator and NAC Communications Specialist, Tadiwa Nyatanga Pfupa, said the judging process revealed strong storytelling deeply rooted in the province. “This year’s entries carried a distinct Manicaland identity,” she said. “These were stories grounded in real community experiences that are often overlooked.”

However, she warned that inconsistent quality remained a concern, particularly within community radio. “Some gaps we saw come from limited training and resources,” she said. “And some reporters relied on the same sources even when stories were unrelated, that weakens credibility.”

Nyatanga Pfupa urged journalists to do more field reporting. “The best stories are not at podiums or press conferences. They are in communities,” she said. “Even small personal investments can turn a basic story into an exceptional one.” She appealed to senior journalists to support emerging talent: “Stronger mentorship will lift the entire province’s media output.”

Representing the Guest of Honour, Minister of State for Manicaland Advocate Misheck Mugadza, Mr. Simon Sigauke reaffirmed government’s commitment to media freedom and safety. “The media is the bridge between leaders and citizens,” he said. “It reflects our progress, our shortcomings and everything we aspire to become.”

Sigauke added that the awards should push journalists to continue upholding ethics.
“These awards are not just recognition,” he said. “They are a call to innovate, to defend the public interest and to strengthen responsible journalism.”

Awards went to journalists who excelled in reporting on girls’ empowerment and protection. Clayton Masekesa of NewsDay won Best Print and Online Story on Girl Child Issues, Chariel Dzobo accepted the Best Community Media Reporting award on behalf of Vemuganga Community Radio, and Diamond FM won Best Radio Programme on Girl Child Rights and Empowerment.

Masekesa said the award reaffirmed the importance of telling stories centred on vulnerable girls.
“This motivates me to keep going into communities and amplifying the voices of girls who are rarely heard,” he said.

Dzobo, representing Vemuganga, said the award belonged to the girls whose stories shaped the station’s reporting.“We simply give them a platform,” he said. “Community radio survives on real daily experiences, and this recognition encourages us to do even more.”

Delivering the closing remarks, NAC Provincial Manager Artwell Shiridzinomwa urged journalists to continue strengthening ethical, evidence-based reporting. “Journalists play a crucial role in shaping public discourse,” he said. He added that the awards marked the beginning of a new culture in Manicaland, one that values solutions-driven journalism that uplifts communities.”

The inaugural Provincial Media Awards set a new benchmark for journalism in the province, leaving attendees with renewed purpose and a shared commitment to advancing the rights and wellbeing of Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable.