A Zimbabwean newspaper aimed at Zimbabweans around the world went online at www.thezimbabwean.co.uk on Monday afternoon.
The entire content of The Zimbabwean newspaper will now be available free on the website.
The Zimbabwean was launched on February 11 with weekly editions in Britain and South Africa said publisher Wilf Mbanga in a statement on Monday.
”It is… a vital source of independent and accurate information to Zimbabweans at home who have been snapping up the 10 000 copies shipped in weekly from Johannesburg in a matter of hours,” he said.
It also provides information to those Zimbabweans who had left their homeland.
”The website is very user friendly. We have purposely kept it simple, quick to download and easy to access — especially for people in Zimbabwe where there is limited bandwidth,” Mbanga said.
He said the newspaper had already attracted the opprobrium from authorities in Harare.
”All we want to do is inform people about what’s going on so that they, in turn, can make informed choices. We are merely asserting the right of all Zimbabweans to freedom of expression and access to information.”
Mbanga said the newspaper strives to be a reliable source of information, and include news from Zimbabwe and items on life in exile. It covers politics, art and culture, business, sports, gender, human rights and social issues, news background and analysis.
Mbanga said the newspaper was important in light of the general elections to be held at the end of March.
”A news blackout is dangerous for any society. The forthcoming general election scheduled for March adds urgency,” he said, adding the newspaper would give all viewpoints, including the Zimbabwean government. – Sapa