Zimdaily Review

Zimdaily is one of Zimbabwe focused most visited digital media sites.The paper is owned by Zimbabweans in the diaspora and publishes news on Zimbabwe on a daily basis. The paper has been online for some years and attracts the interests of thousands of Zimbabweans in Zimbabwe and abroad.

In 2008 a fugitive, according to the government of Zimbabwe, acquired 50% of Zimdaily from Mr Munamato Maisva a Zimbabwean also based abroad. Mr Gilbert Muponda the so called fugitive fled Zimbabwe for the United States at the height of bank closures by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. he and another co-founder were accused by government of swindling customers millions of United States Dollars through their now defunct company ENG Capital.

Today the paper is owned by 3MG Media. In terms of news coverage, Zimdaily appears to have serious vitriol against the government of Zimbabwe especially ZANU PF and President Robert Mugabe in particular. This type of news coverage on Zimbabwe is not limited only to this paper but to the generality of Zimbabwe independent Internet publications. The Internet has become a viable and effective method of Zimbabweans to protest against the brutality and human rights abuses of their government.

The online edition of the paper has a dedicated team of sub-editors who publish stories on a day to day basis. Just as most online independent publications on Zimbabwe do, Zimdaily also relies on undercover journalists scattered across the cities and country side of Zimbabwe. Some of the journalists used by private online publications in fact work for state media operated by Zimpapers. Due to meagre salaries earned, they supplement their income by writing in opposition too their own stories in the state owned papers such as the Herald and the Chronicle.

Even though overall the publication carries newsworthy articles, excessive advertising on the site is often annoying to some readers.The publication belongs to a plethora of Internet real estate such as Zim Net Radio a radio station run by 3MG Capital as well as Zimface an imitation of Facebook but exclusive to Zimbabweans.

In 2009 Zimdaily introduced a print version of the paper. The paper is not yet widely available on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital and other cities in Zimbabwe. However it stands a chance for a good readership in a country were independent daily news is extremely scare due to severe media restrictions on new players. It however remains to be seen of the government will accept the distribution of the paper on Zimbabwe's streets.