About Soccom

Structure of Social Communications:

Chairman of the Commission:
Bishop Michael Dixon Bhasera ZCBC Social Communications Chairman

The structure of the Commission flows from the Pontifical Mission for Social Communications, which is responsible for Catholic Church Communications in the world. The Social Communications Commission like all other Commissions fall under the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which is the controlling board of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe. The Commission has the Bishop Chairman who advises its operations and makes sure that the Commission complies with the doctrine of the Church. The Bishop Chairman represents the Commission at the Bishops Conference and links the Commission to this supreme decision making board. In simple terms, the Bishop Chairman gives direction to the operations of the Commission and from time to time checks on the progress of the department. Currently, the Chairman of the Social Communications Commission is the Bishop of Masvingo, Michael Dixon Bhasera who assumed this post since -------. The Bishop has worked hard to enhance Communication within the Church and to ensure that communication efforts conform to the mission of evangelization by the Catholic Church. Bishop Bhasera as Chairman encouraged all pastors and people of the Church to deepen their understanding of issues relating to communications and media, and to translate their understanding into practical policies and workable programmes. Over the years, he has encouraged all dioceses to establish Diocesan Offices for Social Communications so as to enable local churches to participate in the process of communication and to share information and issues that shape their life.

Director: Br Kugwa

Social Communications Commission functions under the supervision of the Director who is appointed by the Bishops’ Conference to spearhead its operations. The Director oversees the day-to-day business of the Commission and directs how the Commission should perform in relation to the Church structures. He is also the editor of the Catholic Church News and executive producer of electronic media products like CDs, DVDs and cassettes. It is the Director’s duty to drive the Commission in line with its goals and objectives. The Director cooperates with other Heads of Commissions and makes sure that the Commission is well coordinated with the rest of the Commissions such as CADEC, Health, Education, Parliamentary Liaison Office (PLO), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Pastoral Center, Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) and other organizations of the Church. Since the Commission has the print media, electronic media and the catholic Bookshop in its stable, the Director supervises all those functions and lead them in a successful and forward looking roadmap. He also coordinates dioceses to make sure that they comply with the necessary requirements for Social Communications. Currently, the Commission is under the directorship of Br. Alfonce Kugwa spb who jumped on to the bandwagon after his three predecessors, who include Frs. Oskar Wemter, Kenneth Makamure, Berry Steven Muchemwa and Conrad Chibango. The Directors have put the Commission on the limelight that the Church in Zimbabwe has come to appreciate the role of communication in their evangelization.

Social Communications Departments
The Commission run the print media section which is responsible for the production of all print jobs like the Catholic Church News which is the mouthpiece for the Church in Zimbabwe, pastoral letters and other documents for the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Social Communications also has a booming electronic media section that caters for the of all Catholic Church recordings and productions like musical CDs, DVDs, audiocassettes. The electronic media department has of late embarked on the duplication and printing of CDs and DVDs. Officers man both the print and electronic media with Sr. Felicitas Nyoni as the electronic media officer and Mr. Donald Chidoori overseeing print media work. The media operate according to deadlines and the two officers together with the director work hard to make sure that deadlines are not compromised.

Sr. Felicitas Nyoni Head Electronic Media	Mr. Donald Chidoori Head Print Media