Sidumisile Mabena
Mbulelo Mpofu
The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) is set to host the inaugural Community Radio Stations Awards on March 26. Under the theme “Community Radio and AI”, inspired by this year’s World Radio Day, the ceremony will celebrate excellence, innovation, and the impact of grassroots broadcasting nationwide.
Sandra Mazunga, national coordinator of ZACRAS said all 22 licensed community radio stations in Zimbabwe are invited to participate, competing across 10 categories. Entries opened on February 20 and close on March 4, providing stations a crucial window to showcase their best work from the past year.
“These awards are a vital platform to recognise and celebrate the incredible dedication, innovation, and tangible impact community radios have had in their localities. We urge every station to participate actively and seize this opportunity to position themselves as the brand of choice within their communities,” said Mazunga.
Stations and individual broadcasters can submit entries across diverse categories, highlighting the wide-ranging role and impact of community radio.
1. Gender Equality
2. Human Rights
3. Environment Reporting
4. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
5. Community Radio Station of the Year
6. Community Broadcaster of the Year
7. Best Media Viability Initiative
8. Community Voice Champion of the Year (Radio Initiative)
9. Community Voice Champion of the Year (Individual)
10. Impact Story of the Year
The launch of these awards underscores the vital role community radio stations play in Zimbabwe’s development, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. They bridge the information gap with hyper-local news often missed by national broadcasters, promote local culture and talent, facilitate discussions on community issues and projects, broadcast in all 16 officially recognised languages to ensure inclusion, and remain truly community-owned, with programming shaped directly by local input.
Zimbabwe’s community radio sector is young but rapidly growing. Ntepe Manana Community Radio became the country’s first licensed station in 2020, while Avuxeni FM in Chiredzi was the first to air broadcasts in 2022. Since then, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has licensed numerous others, including Chivi Community Radio, Chomazumba Community Radio, Dande FM, Jakata FM, Ndera FM, and Nhimbe FM, expanding local media access nationwide.
The government has consistently supported community radio, recognising its role in preserving culture, providing entertainment, and educating citizens. This commitment was reaffirmed during World Radio Day celebrations in Mutare, when the Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Ministry highlighted the sector’s importance.
In line with the awards theme, Minister Zhemu Soda encouraged media practitioners to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI), noting its potential to enhance content creation, distribution, and audience engagement, allowing community radio stations to reach wider audiences and strengthen their impact in the digital era.
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Online Reporter