by Gideon Madzikatidze
HARARE – The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Frederick Shava, has sparked controversy by allegedly restricting private media from questioning him during a press conference ahead of the 2025 Presidential Innovation Fair (scheduled for December 11, 2025) insisting that only state media ask questions—ones he has pre-written.
This move comes amid growing tensions following his failure to resolve disputes among Zimbabwe’s universities over innovation patents and intellectual property infringement.
Innovation has also been blamed for gross rural negligence as it is perceived to be a reserve for the elites. Several experts questioned the sincerity of introduction of innovation where there is no sufficient infrastructure to support and back-up to include rural populace.
The restrictions, seen as a blow to press freedom, have drawn criticism from stakeholders who argue it undermines transparency ahead of the upcoming Presidential Innovation Conference. The Fair aims to showcase Zimbabwe’s advancements in science, technology, and entrepreneurship under Education 5.0.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, an official from the Ministry claimed that the move was a strategy to avoid embarrassment since he is yet to understand some innovation technicalities which need expertise.
“The Minister had to avoid being asked some technical questions and he preferred to have those which he may answer thereby leaving those need technical expertise. Though he has been with the Ministry for sometime, he is too slow to grasp some concept,” the official said.
“So for avoidance of embarrassment, he assigned (together with some Ministry officials) journalist from State media to help in drafting and asking specific questions which he familiarise with prior to the press conference. Instead of reading the press statement, he demanded that journalist should ask questions whilst he responded,” the official added.
Initially, the Ministry invited all journalists to a press conference, but things changed last minute where a questionnaire interview was conducted and an official from the Ministry blocked all efforts for the Minister to be asked questions.
Responding to some pre-written set of questions, Shava said the 2025 Presidential Innovation Fair is designed to showcase Zimbabwe’s cutting-edge innovations and technologies developed under our Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model.
“It provides a national platform where prototypes are transformed into commercially viable products, directly contributing to our industrialisation agenda and the realisation of Vision 2030,” Shava said.
“Government has directed that all funded innovations be closely monitored along their commercialisation journey. We are strengthening incubation frameworks, patent support, industrial testing facilities, and linkages with industry. Our goal is for every innovation to generate economic value, create enterprises, and contribute to exports,” he added.
Shava, a seasoned politician with a history in diplomacy, previously served as Foreign Affairs Minister before his recent reassignment. His tenure has been marked by efforts to commercialize innovations, though the recent university conflicts have raised questions about his ministry’s effectiveness.
No official statement has been released by Shava or his ministry regarding these allegations. The development department has intensified debates on media freedom and government accountability in Zimbabwe.
Under NDS2, the Ministry is accelerating rural industrialisation through the hub-and-spoke model in partnership with other institutions. Innovations showcased at the Fair will be assessed for suitability for rural deployment, particularly in agro-industry, food processing, renewable energy, and rural manufacturing solutions.