African journalists should spearhead continent's development

The recent announcement by African Union (AU) and SADC Chairperson, President Robert Mugabe that journalists in Africa should put African leaders and the developments in the continent into positive light should be applauded.

President Mugabe mentioned this constructive idea during his address at an Ebola Conference in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

It is of paramount importance for African journalists to spearhead the continent's development agenda. For instance, there are leaders that are in Africa such as the AU chairperson, President Mugabe who has a positive stance on the transformation agenda, based on the fact that Africa is no longer interested in receiving aid and other forms of assistance from the western community.

Africa is a continent vast with resources. There are fertile lands, minerals and big industries that are capable of sustaining and improving the lives of African people. Given the resources and the small population in Africa, aid is no longer important. What is important is harnessing those huge resources to enhance development. Journalists should therefore focus their coverage on all these developments.

African journalists should not be discouraged from reporting about the good of their continent. The fact that most African leaders could find it very difficult to stand alone in defending their rights against the westerners, gave the Western nations the opportunity and power to enhance their intended agenda of regime change. However, it is more pleasing to note that African leaders are now aware of the havoc that is being caused by western world in Africa.

For instance in East Africa, the United States of America (US) has caused much devastation as there are now controlling most resources in that region.

The AU chairperson, President Mugabe constructively noted that the adoption of a continental framework for Africa's transformation agenda dubbed ‘Agenda 2063' is a necessity that the media should spearhead to encourage growth and development of business in the content.

There is a lot of productivity taking place in African industries that the African media should focus their attention more on when reporting. The media also need to tell the true success stories of progress being recorded in the continent. It is imperative for journalists to observe and report on the growth of the industries and other developments taking place in the continent. By so doing, African continent will be raised to greater heights on the world map.

Truth be told, transformation agenda can be achieved with good governance, transparency and collaboration at national, regional and international levels, with the media playing a central role in the process.

What is more pleasing is that most countries in the region are involved in farming of cash crops like tobacco and cotton as well as food crops such as maize and wheat. There is need for the media to underscore the need for more agricultural trade within the continent, saying agriculture is also about business, technology and trade. It is necessary for farmers to get relevant market information that will increase their yields, income and create wealth for the farmers. In that sense, the Africa's economy will improve for the better.

Getting important message to the people is central. The media in Africa tends to focus much on petty issues, emphasizing too much on negativism whereas there is great development in the continent. As mentioned at the Ebola conference in Equatorial Guinea by the AU Chairperson, Africa must not feel inferior to western nations. Progress in all African nations should be brought to light through the media.

The media should be objective always. As much as the watchdog role is commendable, the media should play this role responsibly. In actual fact the media should promote development not destruction. It is through the media that African leaders and their great ideologies are brought to light.

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Peacemaker Zano can be contacted at peacemakerzano@gmail.com