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Bongani Ndlovu in Binga, Chronicle Reporter
ALL the major local languages in Matabeleland region such as Venda, Tonga, Kalanga and Ndebele are now catered for following the licensing of community radio stations Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Kindness Paradza has said.
The Deputy Minister said this yesterday in Binga on the last leg of his tour of community radio stations in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South to assess progress made in setting them up since they were licensed last year.
Deputy Minister Paradza’s tour started on Tuesday.
It took him to Matabeleland South province where he visited Ingqanga Community Radio Station in Mbembesi, then Radio BuKalanga in Plumtree and Bayethe FM in Maphisa on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Deputy Minister travelled to Hwange, Matabeleland North Province and met the community that will be serviced by Lyeja Nyayi Community Radio.
Yesterday he was in Binga, home of Twasumbuka Community Radio station.
Deputy Minister Paradza’s next stop is Manicaland.
Concluding his Matabeleland tour in Binga, Deputy Minister Paradza said it was important for communities to take ownership of radio stations.
“We are having a pyramid approach where we are having the involvement of the community and Government deals with policy.
So, the community must take ownership of these community radio stations.
“It is the communities that must produce their own content.
This is very important.
The content is going to come from Central Government, but it’s also going to come from among themselves as a community,” he said.
“Matabeleland has a rich culture; Ndebele culture, Tonga culture, Venda culture and so forth. Zimbabweans must be exposed to that information and culture.”
Deputy Minister Paradza said out of the seven community radio stations he was satisfied with five of them.
“The good thing is that all the major languages in Matabeleland are now catered for starting from Venda in Beitbridge and Tonga here in Binga. So, I’m happy with progress in five out of seven of these community radio stations.
“I can say that they’re somewhere. Some of them have equipment and some are to procure equipment, some have good infrastructure like the one in Hwange, in Beitbridge, in Plumtree, Manama and also in Maphisa,” he said.
“We are going to assist some of them with studio equipment for those who don’t have. Like this one (Twasumbuka), ZACRAS (Zimbabwe Association of Community Radios Stations) is going to assist.
“What we need is to call the corporate sector in the areas around to assist the community stations and also our rural district councils to assist in giving them premises for free because these aren’t profit making ventures.”
He said the enthusiasm shown by the community was encouraging to Government.
“Generally, I’m happy with the enthusiasm shown by the people here in Matabeleland.
They always thought they were marginalised and this is a sure way of assuring them that they aren’t and that President Mnangagwa is serious that we don’t want anyone, any place and any society behind as we go towards Vision 2030,” said Deputy Minister Paradza.
He said the setting up of community radio stations was in line with National Development Strategy 1 and Government will use these to tell people of its policies and programmes.
“As a ministry this is part of our NDS1 communication strategy to make sure that all the people especially those in the outlying areas, to make sure they understand what NDS1 is all about.
“We will be using these facilities to make sure that NDS1 is understood so that we move on the same page as central Government and the citizenry at large.
“The good thing here in Matabeleland North the infrastructure is already digital compliant, such as the transmitters here in Binga and in Kamativi, in Lupane.
“As soon as we receive the consignment of these set top boxes, we are going to give them out especially to the low-lying areas for them to view ZBC television and other stations as well.”
Twasumbuka Community Radio station Manager Mr Bbaido Ndlovu commended the Second Republic for hearing their pleas for Binga to have its own community radio.
“We were set up in 2013 in Manjolo and we have a board, a secretariat and other pillars in place.
“However, we weren’t given the chance previously as it was hard.
But now thanks to the Second Republic we are now operational, although some of the progress has been stalled because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mr Ndlovu, who was standing for the chairman of the radio station Mr Samson Sibanda.
He said to make the radio station financially stable, they want one of the studios to be used for local artistes to record for a minimal but viable fee.
Twasumbuka Radio Station, does not have premises of its own and is in negotiations with various entities such as Binga Rural District Council to get a place to operate from.
Deputy Minister Paradza this week urged local authorities to let community radio stations use council premises for free as they are non-profit making organisations.
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