Chiringiro is not Chidumo (notorious criminal of the early 1990s) but it is the paper that is set to create ripples across the media landscape.
Chiringiro is the first independent
weekly paper in vernacular language that will be published in the near future
under Maendeleo media in Zimbabwe. Maendeleo media founder, Dr Charlton Tsodzo
said the idea behind the paper was borne from the preservation of Zimbabwe’s
local languages, stressing on the need of having incentives in the preservation
of local languages.
Tsodzo informed audiences at a Food or Thought
discussion, held at the US Embassy Public Affairs Section to be vigilant of the
paper as it would likely outrun, Kwayedza, once it began circulation.
“When we look at Kwayedza, they are
better financed than ourselves but in terms of the concept, what we want, we
consider ourselves way ahead of these guys in terms of thinking,” said Tsodzo. He highlighted that the production house was
thinking on creating an application for the newspaper, to embrace the new
technology and set it apart from the rest.
The paper will focus mainly on
developmental issues and reflecting issues affecting society. “Chiringiro means
mirror or lens, so we are trying to mirror society in terms of news, local,
regional and international news and also give critical thinking into news as
well,” he said.
I believe if Chiringiro does get the funding,
the paper will be successful, Tsodzo seemed to have brilliant ideas about the
paper and hopefully, it will see the time of day.
The Zimbabwean a foreign owned
newspaper and the Observer, a local
weekly paper were newspapers licensed in August this year.
