The Zimbabwean journalist who won this year’s CNN/Multi Choice African Journalist of the Year Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono says African journalists face a myriad of challenges that make them less efficient compared to their counterparts in Europe and America. He said poor pay and strict government rules are some of the debilitating challenges militating against the African journalist. Mr. Chin’ono whose television documentary on the everyday challenges of people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe won him the award, said poorly paid reporters became pawns of government and susceptible to manipulation by politicians. He said working as a journalist in Zimbabwe kills initiative and productivity. There are “laws that are put in place by the government which prohibit you from doing your work properly. [They require you] to get licensed and once you are licensed you have to follow certain procedures [and] you can’t go to certain institutions without permission, in Zimbabwe doesn’t pay”, he stated. The CNN/Multi Choice African Journalist of the year said Journalism is one of the least paid jobs in Zimbabwe. He said when journalists are not well paid there is bound to be corruption as politicians realise that they can buy the journalist to report they way they want. Joy FM’s Israel Laryea who won the Radio News Award says his interaction with journalists from other parts of the continent who were in Accra for the awards helped him to appreciate the freedom journalists enjoy in Ghana. He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong Nkrumah that journalists in the country were comparatively free. Story by Malik Abass Daabu