By Memory Nkwe Ndhlovu
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) recently held a three-day training session in Cape Town for journalists from various African countries.
The meeting aimed to bridge the gap in reporting on issues of importance to African citizens. It recognized the need for improved communication between the PAP and media practitioners.
Addressing the journalists, PAP President Fortune Charumbira emphasized the importance of African journalists placing the PAP’s agenda and other African Union institutions at the forefront of their reporting.
“Both parties acknowledge the crucial role each partner plays in educating, informing, and shaping the minds of African citizens on issues impacting the continent’s development,” he said.
President Charumbira further stressed that an informed citizenry can only be achieved through proper and transparent reporting, which he urged the participating journalists to prioritize.
“The media, as the fourth estate, complements us in building an informed citizenry, holding the executive accountable, and creating mechanisms for evaluating progress on achieving continental goals in development, economy, peace and security, health, and other areas,” Charumbira added.
The training highlighted the importance of timely information sharing between journalists and the Pan-African Parliament to keep citizens of member states informed. Participants and facilitators agreed that:
“The Pan-African Parliament Media and Communications Unit will enhance its collaborative efforts with the African Parliamentary Press Network (APPN) to actively engage with media editors, urging them to prioritize coverage of Pan-African Parliament events and initiatives.”
Countries represented included South Africa, Malawi, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Lesotho, DR Congo, Mozambique, and Zambia.
