Government to continue licensing community radio stations

Vusumuzi Dube in Binga

THE Government has committed to continue licensing community radio stations in the country as part of efforts to promote local languages.

The Government has to date licensed 14 community radio stations in the country as part of efforts to give communities a voice in the development matrix of the country. Speaking during a live interview with Binga’s Twasumpuka FM, on the sidelines of the culture month commemorations at Kariyangwe Village, under Chief Siansali, President Mnangagwa said community radio stations helped preserve cultures and language.

“We will continue making sure that communities get radio licences in order to promote our culture and local languages. These radio stations avail these communities with the platform to air their concerns on various developmental issues, giving them a voice which they previously didn’t have,” said the President.

He said the cultural month commemorations were important in that they helped show all and sundry that as black people they also have their customs which had to be passed to future generations.

“So, every year we are going to have these celebrations so that our children learn and we do not lose our traditional values. Today we are here to preserve our customs. As I always say, ‘Nyika inovakwa neveno vayo,’ we are not looking upon other people to build our nation and that means as parents, chiefs and the Government we have to teach our children how to work for the things they wear, what they eat which is what we are doing right now.

I am happy that in the two years that I have been visiting Binga there has been a great change and Chief Siansali was telling me that in the past two years things are running smoothly and he is happy with the improvements which include fixed roads, electricity and water,” said the President.

President Mnangagwa said their main task now was ensuring that all the chiefs in Binga have access to water and electricity.

“We want the chiefs to have access to water any time of the day. They do not have to travel long distances for it. We want those changes in the area. This is our commitment to Binga, mainly basing on our mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” said the President.

The interview with the President was historic in the sense that this was the first one conducted by a community radio station since the Second Republic’s drive of licensing community radio stations in the country.