Njama 2025: Media Honours and the Business of Trust

The 2025 National Journalism and Media Awards (Njama) in Harare celebrate excellence under the theme “Impact and Information Integrity,” uniting media, government, and business to promote ethical journalism and public trust (image source)

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) hosts the 2025 National Journalism and Media Awards (Njama) in Harare this evening — a gala that celebrates excellence across investigative, developmental, environmental, data, and photojournalism under the theme “Impact and Information Integrity: The Power of Truth.”

Njama 2025 brings together government officials, diplomats, media leaders, and business sponsors to recognise journalism that shapes public life and holds power to account. Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere, Swedish Ambassador Per Lindgärde, and Chinese Ambassador Zhou Ding — who will deliver the keynote address — are among the high-profile guests expected, underscoring Njama’s diplomatic and national significance.

ZUJ secretary-general Perfect Hlongwane thanked corporate partners including NetOne, Caledonia Mining, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe, Innscor Africa’s Empower Tomorrow, Zimnat Life, and the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange for underwriting the event. He noted that funds mobilised through the Finx Zimbabwe platform emphasise collaboration between business and media. Hlongwane described sponsorship as a “strategic investment rather than charity,” arguing that a well-resourced media sector underpins transparency, accountability, and economic stability.

“A well-supported media industry is critical to the transparency, accountability and economic stability that benefit all sectors.” — Perfect Hlongwane

Njama arrives amid debates over media funding, editorial independence, and commercial pressures facing newsrooms. ZUJ positions the awards as more than a celebration of achievement — framing them as a vehicle to strengthen professional standards, incentivise public-interest reporting, and attract private-sector support for investigative work that uncovers corruption and service-delivery failures.

The union’s materials highlight Njama’s role in elevating ethical journalism and providing professional development resources across mainstream platforms. Bulawayo businessman Morris Mpala, speaking on behalf of the business community, called sponsorship an act of nation-building:

“By championing ethical journalism, we promote transparency, build public trust and create a conducive environment for sustainable growth,” he said, linking media integrity to business confidence and investment climate improvements.

The awards span multiple categories — from public-interest storytelling to environmental journalism — with winners selected by juries drawn from media, academia, and civil society to ensure credibility. ZUJ’s website outlines Njama’s judging criteria, entry rules, and archives of prior winners, enhancing transparency and consistency.

Analysts, however, caution that corporate funding must not translate into editorial capture. ZUJ says safeguards are in place to protect newsroom independence while welcoming sponsors. Observers will watch how Njama’s governance structures, conflict-of-interest rules, and prize transparency balance financial sustainability with editorial freedom.

Njama 2025 is both a celebration and a strategy — recognising journalistic achievement while promoting a funding model that treats media support as an investment in national integrity.