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Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau 

COMMUNITY radios are an important devolution tool as they play a critical development role at the grassroots level, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana has said. 

He said this yesterday during a familiarisation visit to the Beitbridge Shashe Community Radio Station, which broadcasts in Venda. 

Fourteen community radio stations have been granted broadcasting licences to help address issues of communication and underdevelopment in some parts of the country. 

Mr Mangwana said it was critical for community radios to amass as much content as possible so that they may broadcast meaningful and helpful programmes.

He said the Government and its agencies had spent US$40 000 to set up the Beitbridge Shashe Community radio which should be on air by Wednesday next week. 

“This is a community station and we expect the community to play an active role in defining content and the developmental issues around this area,” he said. 

Mr Mangwana said the radio station had been receiving support from many stakeholders and also urged the corporate world to be actively involved as part of their community social responsibility programmes. 

“We want to ensure that besides being on air, these radio stations are sustainably run through the involvement of everyone around this area,” he said. 

 Mr Mangwana said the community radios will help nurture talent and present a converging point for people to find answers to development questions. 

 He said although in some instances the radio stations were facing teething challenges in setting up, the Government was committed to ensure that all those licensed were on air as scheduled. 

 Matabeleland South Province got four licenses for community radio stations to broadcast in Venda, Sotho, Kalanga, and Ndebele languages. 

“As the Government, we have started this phase we want to make sure that we encourage these radio stations to set up, and according to our laws, they have 18 months to do so,” said Mr Mangwana. 

 “We will make sure that everyone is broadcasting within the set time frames. In essence, we can’t be issuing out licenses to revoke them.” 

Mr Mangwana expressed optimism that most of the radio stations will go on air soon and that they will cover a radius of 40km. 

Radio transmitters are being installed at convenient mobile telecommunications boosters to ensure total coverage. 

The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe’s technical manager, Engineer Mathias Chakanyuka, said they had started training volunteers who will be working at the Beitbridge-Shashe Community Radio Station. 

“We have covered issues to do with content creation, production with the volunteers and also trained some of the board members on governance issues,” he said. 

“In addition, as an organisation, we have procured the studio equipment and we are setting up and we are confident that the radio station will be on air by December 7”. 

The radio’s board secretary, Mr Mbongeleni Muleya, said they were working hard to make sure they start broadcasting as scheduled. 

He commended the Second Republic for recognising the importance of pushing development from the grassroots level. 

Mr Muleya said the community had long been waiting to have a radio station that speaks their language and relates to their context. 

“This is a milestone development for us and we are grateful for the recognition and help we are getting from the Government and its players in setting up this initiative,” said Mr Muleya. 

Renowned local female master of ceremony (MC Peshy) Miss Patience Moyo said community radio stations were important in raising awareness and promoting development and gender mainstreaming countrywide. 

“This radio station will help the community to get news and information faster than before and also educate the local people on issues around the local language and culture preservation,” said Miss Roita Mbedzi of Tshaswingo, Ward 3.