Zimbabwean

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Zimbabwean
The Zimbabwean Limited

We are a group of committed and professional Zimbabwean journalists and friends from around the world who have come together to start the first physical newspaper for Zimbabweans in exile. The paper will be edited by Wilf Mbanga, founder and first Chief Executive of Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, the publishers of The Daily News (closed down in 2003 under the terms of the Zimbabwe Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act—AIPPA.) More than 50 Zimbabwean journalists around the world have offered their services on a voluntary basis to get the paper started.

Foundational Vision

To produce and distribute a newspaper dedicated to freedom of expression and access to information for all the peoples of Zimbabwe, founded on the sacred principles of journalism—fairness and honesty. To play a role in opposing everything offensive to basic human decency and hostile to peace, in order that Zimbabwe may return to the path of wisdom and sanity, and become once again an honourable nation, governed by honourable people with due respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Guiding Principles

We believe in the basic right of all people to receive and impart information, i.e. to communicate.
We believe in the free flow of diverse, accurate and relevant information through mass media.
We believe in mass media that is accessible and answerable to the people it seeks to serve.
We believe the establishment of vibrant, non-governmental mass media is vital to democracy.
We believe those in positions of authority and power should be held accountable to those they are supposed to serve, and that a free media is fundamental to ensuring such accountability.

The Zimbabwean

It is believed that more than a million Zimbabweans live in exile in the UK and more than two million live outside Zimbabwe in Southern Africa—mainly in South Africa and Botswana. The Zimbabwean will, for the first time, give a voice to these Zimbabweans, who constitute some 25% of the total population. It will build links and encourage readers to tell their own stories and those of their families, as well as articulating their fears and frustrations about the issues concerning them.

The paper will seek to harness the energies and synergies of exiles, many of whom find themselves isolated, marginalised and voiceless, yet who constitute Zimbabwe's professional, skilled and intellectual cream. They are hungry for news about home and effectively cut off from their families and each other. Many do not have access to the internet at work or at home and are dependent upon costly internet cafes and e-mail.

News focus

The paper will include news from Zimbabwe as well as life in exile. The content will obviously have a heavy emphasis on Zimbabwean politics, but will also include arts and culture, business, sports, gender and health, issues, social issues and news analysis. Letters to the editor will be a key feature, as will classified advertisements.

Our promise to you:

The Zimbabwean will be an authoritative and accurate newspaper of record and a reliable source of information to all those individuals, agencies and governments with an interest in Zimbabwe. A news blackout is dangerous for any society. The forthcoming general election scheduled for March adds urgency. We will ensure that our coverage is accurate, fair and balanced. We will be accountable to our readers. We will endeavour to give all viewpoints, and everyone will have the right of reply. In short, we will do everything the government newspapers in Zimbabwe are not allowed to do!

What can you do?

Send us your stories, your news, your letters, your classified advertisements, your ideas, your photographs and your comments. And please buy the paper.