Media in Africa challenged to partner in transforming the Continent

The President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), H. E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira, has challenged the media in Africa to be alive to its duties and to become partners in the transformation of the continent.

He urged them to move beyond reporting on issues of what is wrong with the continent and to begin to broach the subject of “why” things are the way they are; and “How” these things could be ameliorated.

“If we are to move ahead we need to provoke thinking. Even the media must be provoked. We are here gathered and we are from Africa, and our duty is to disseminate; communicate and to inform people across the world about certain things that confront us.

“I want to challenge you as media in this room that let’s be a media that deals with the What of everything, but let’s also be a media that deals with the Why and How. That is a good media,” said the President in a keynote address delivered at a workshop organized by the Pan African Parliament for the media at the side lines of the ongoing Sitting of the PAP Permanent Committees in Midrand, South Africa.

According to him, more often than not, the media has remained stacked on diagnosing the myriad of challenges facing the continent while attempts at making progress are missed by this same media.

Speaking specifically to issues related to PAP, Chief Charumbira said, “My point remains that we miss the media in our work. The media should move with us from “what”; to “why”; and “how”. But you tend to remain on What, while we move to the next, we leave you behind then we miss you”.

He therefore expressed the need for the active involvement of the media in the reform process on the continent of Africa as well as the rebranding process of the Pan African Parliament which has been embarked upon by the new Bureau.

The PAP President, H. E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira told the workshop participants including the members of the Steering Committee of the African Parliamentary Press Network (APPN) that the Capacity Building Workshop is a conscious effort to make the media an integral part of the new Bureau’s attempt to revive, renew, reposition and reinvigorate the Pan-African Parliament.

“The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament is acutely aware that we cannot achieve our new strategic thrust of reviving and repositioning the Pan African Parliament within the continental governance matrix without rebranding the institution…Our desire to rebrand the Pan African Parliament, to create a different identity, is both a proactive and reactive initiative” the President said.

“We invite you to come with us as we begin this difficult journey of rebranding the Pan African Parliament. We invite you to report on the positive thrust that we have started on by ensuring equity and justice throughout all the structures of the Pan African Parliament, by adhering to the principle of geographical rotation.

“Never in the Pan African Parliament’s history, has each Region held the Chairpersonship, Deputy Chair and Rapporteur of at least two Committees as the Bureau of the 6th Parliament has done”, he added.

Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com