As Russia and African countries are set to expand economic cooperation, they need to establish direct channels of communication in the media field without involvement of Western media, said Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Publicity of Zimbabwe, in an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa.
"We do not want Russians to read about Zimbabwe from BBC or CNN, but we would like to have that exchange of information so that we know each other, because for business to grow between nations, we need to know each other," she said, adding: "And this can be done through communications. Information is power."
According to the minister, it is extremely important that Russia is able to understand Africa and know about the continent "from an African point of view, to understand Zimbabwe from a Zimbabwean point of view." She explained that the countries "should be able to relate in many ways" so that they can further strengthen their cooperation.
Mutsvangwa emphasized that media holds great power of uniting people and making them closer to each other. In this regard, she added, Russia and Africa should harness this power.
"We want Zimbabweans when they hear about [...] people of Russia, they need to understand that these are our friends for a very long time. These are people who stood with us at a very difficult time when we were fighting for independence," the minister stressed.
She noted that it is necessary to create a correct image of Russia in Zimbabwe so that people understand that Moscow has long been on Africa's side and continues to defend its interests in the global arena.
Likewise, Mutsvangwa elaborated, there is a need to show Russians that Africa is a reliable partner and can be very profitable in terms of investments. She emphasized that Africa offers equal and views its partners "as brothers and sisters."
"Investing in Zimbabwe, investing in Africa makes a lot of sense. You make huge profits and you always get a win-win situation when you go to Africa. There is no looking down on each other. There is no inequalities. We look at each others as brothers and sisters," she said.
The minister recalled that she had spoken with Russian businessmen who told her that they were afraid to invest in Africa and its industries, considering the continent a risky and unattractive destination.
She explained that this due to the fact that "they have been listening to CNN" or BBC. The official underscored that these Western media outlets "feel that Africa belongs to them," but this in not true because the continent belongs to Africans.
According to Mutsvangwa, it's time for Russia and Africa to develop partnerships and "do business together." Media can play a huge role in this process by providing Russian investors with trustworthy information about Africa and Zimbabwe in particular, the minister added. She noted that by collecting and providing "rightful information," media outlets will help the country in its efforts to industrialize and bring society to upper-middle income status by 2030.
As part of the Russia-Africa Summit, which started in St. Petersburg on July 27, Sputnik and RT organized a media forum featuring more than 140 journalists, editors-in-chief and heads of leading African media outlets.