News / National
Junior parliamentarians to receive mobile phones
01 Jul 2019 at 08:06hrs | Views
The Ministry of Information has pledged to work with its development partners to avail mobile phone handsets for all junior parliamentarians for easy communication, but warned them not to post subversive material.
Speaking to NewsDay, Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi said the mobile phones will work for the development of communities by bringing issues affecting communities to Parliament.
"We have pledged to work with development partners in order to avail cell phone handsets to junior parliamentarians," Mutodi said.
"Communication is the pillar for community development and success, hence the need for the junior members of Parliament to take part in social media group communications, so that they know what is happening in their communities and be able to transmit the information to others."
"We want you to tweet, use WhatsApp and text as you discuss the issues that confront you as the young, as well as the communities where you come from. We will, therefore, engage development partners such that mobile phones, which have become a very important media tool, are donated to you."
The deputy minister also warned junior parliamentarians that although freedom of expression was guaranteed in the Constitution, including the freedom of research, opinion and freedom of religion, those rights were not absolute, adding that abuse of social media was unacceptable.
He also urged junior parliamentarians not to hesitate to invite media institutions, among them the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporations (ZBC), State and private media institutions whenever they had events which they wanted to be covered.
"As for the events carried out by the junior Parliament, I urge you not to hesitate to invite the ZBC crew, State media journalists and those in private media houses to provide coverage to those events, such that your voices can be heard by all.
"The ministry is committed to ensuring that information reached all corners of Zimbabwe on time and our role is to communicate, transform, rebrand and promote a democratic society where everybody's voice is heard," Mutodi said.
Speaking to NewsDay, Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi said the mobile phones will work for the development of communities by bringing issues affecting communities to Parliament.
"We have pledged to work with development partners in order to avail cell phone handsets to junior parliamentarians," Mutodi said.
"Communication is the pillar for community development and success, hence the need for the junior members of Parliament to take part in social media group communications, so that they know what is happening in their communities and be able to transmit the information to others."
The deputy minister also warned junior parliamentarians that although freedom of expression was guaranteed in the Constitution, including the freedom of research, opinion and freedom of religion, those rights were not absolute, adding that abuse of social media was unacceptable.
He also urged junior parliamentarians not to hesitate to invite media institutions, among them the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporations (ZBC), State and private media institutions whenever they had events which they wanted to be covered.
"As for the events carried out by the junior Parliament, I urge you not to hesitate to invite the ZBC crew, State media journalists and those in private media houses to provide coverage to those events, such that your voices can be heard by all.
"The ministry is committed to ensuring that information reached all corners of Zimbabwe on time and our role is to communicate, transform, rebrand and promote a democratic society where everybody's voice is heard," Mutodi said.
Source - newsday
