AS the BRICS Media Forum came to a close yesterday , delegates echoed that Africans must tell the story of Africa.
The panel discussion zoomed in on the theme Strengthening Exchanges: Media’s Recipe in Invigorating Africa’s Growth,
The BRICS Media Forum was held at the Houghton Hotel as one of the breakaway build-up sessions before the main summit this week.
Sifiso Mahlangu, the editor of The Star, said the BRICS Media initiative created a platform for South Africa to find itself beyond the BRICS Media programme and in general.
He said South Africa found itself at the table to negotiate the country’s investment to discuss Africa’s development without the engagement or the fostering of the West.
“I want to make this point because in 2017, when the ruling party in South Africa (ANC), decided to take policies that were seemingly developmental to Africans, in particular, black people in general, the IMF sought a problem with South Africa. The World Bank sent the country a proposal and why the ruling party should not adopt particular policies. It interested many people why the IMF and World Bank would have such a keen interest in the policies of South Africa,” Mahlangu said.
He said the key colonisers also had an interest in how the rand performed.
“The rand in South Africa is manipulated by the rating agencies. The banks in South Africa operate in collusion; they charge black people different rates than they charge white people. The banks are inherently white and a Western formulation of IMF and the World Bank, hence the interest in South Africa’s policies.”
Mahlangu said there was a need for reporters to cover all wars across the world, rather than a select few.
“All wars are wrong but Ukraine is not the only war happening in the world. The people of Palestine are displaced as we speak, the women and the children are landless, there is a under-reportage of that.
“There are black slaves that are sold in Libya and there is an under-reporting of that. Libya is a shadow of its former self because of the US, there is a under-reporting of that. There is a murder of black people in Sudan and there is under-reporting of that. While they want us to microscopically move us to only report about the Ukraine war, ours must be a job to report about wars in general, in particular the people of this continent.”
Zhanna Andreevna Tolstikova, the CEO of the International TV BRICS Network, said supporting local content was paramount.
“The media should prioritise the production of local content … This includes news stories, documentaries and edutainment programmes that showcase rich culture heritage. This way, the media helps share a positive narrative that empowers and informs local and international communities,” said Tolstikova.
He said journalists should be trained to report objectively, and they should investigate and verify information .
Tolstikova said the media sector must embrace digital innovation such as websites, social media platforms, podcasts and online streaming services that offered opportunities to amplify voices and empower marginalised communities.
Marie Claire Nana, the general manger of Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation, said the multiple challenges facing African countries called for the building of reliable partnership as the best way of dealing with most development setbacks.
“But such partnerships should in no way downplay the importance of self-reliance development. In other words, Africa must work with her friends but there is a need to reflect on her own strategies to harness her own resources for national growth in different countries.”
Nana said that with the China-Africa corporation, the support the country had put into various development initiatives in Africa could be seen as part of efforts to sustain growth in Africa.