…Adjudication of 10 more community radio stations in the process

Ngoni Dapira

COMMUNITY radio stations are crucial for information relay at grassroots level under devolution and Manicaland is witnessing this ever since government opened them in the province, the resident Minister has said.

This was said yesterday (Wednesday) during the official opening of the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Ministry’s strategic planning workshop held in Vumba, Mutare.

In his welcome remarks, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Honourable Advocate Misheck Mugadza who was represented by Joseph Mashingaidze, the director of provincial coordination in the Office of the Manicaland Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, said the success of Vision 2030 hinges largely on the media. He said through the media citizens are not only informed, but also meaningfully involved in national development processes.

“Information is the lifeblood of devolution, it connects communities to policy, citizens to leadership and ideas to action. Through effective communication, we as Manicaland are pleased to announce that our people are now more aware of development initiatives being implemented in their districts,” said Min Mugadza.

Adding, “Whether it is the construction of roads, clinics, schools, or irrigation schemes under devolution funds, the visibility created by your Ministry ensures that development is not hidden, but celebrated, documented, and shared as a collective national achievement.”

The resident Minister also applauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa for his dedication and vision to champion media diversity and inclusivity through promulgation of various pieces of legislation that has resulted in the proliferation of newspapers, commercial and community radio stations and private television stations, which enhances access to information.

He added that the Government, under the Second Republic, proved that it was a listening government by opening up the airwaves to enable full participation of all citizens in the national development discourse. He said this also enhances the country’s diverse, cultural and social heritage through languages used in the various communities where the radio stations are set up.

“Allow me to mention notable progresses made by your Ministry right here in Manicaland as far as community radio stations are concerned. Garahwa Transmission Tower where Ndau FM is stationed, Chimanimani Community Radio Station, Inyangani Community Radio Station which has signal in some parts of Mash East Province and Vemuganga Community Radio Station,” he said.

The first community radio stations were officially licensed and began opening in Zimbabwe around February 2022, although community radio initiatives by the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS)had existed without licenses for years prior. So far 14 community radio stations have been licensed since then by the Second Republic Government, which was a milestone achievement after years of lobbying by civic society organisations.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Nick Mangwana said Manicaland benefitted tremendously from Governments ongoing community radio stations initiative as it now has four community radio stations. He said provinces that do not have community radio stations like Midlands and Mashonaland East should not feel left out as they are being considered.

“During the course of the year we gazetted and called out for applications for people who wanted to run community radio stations in most of the provinces except for those already over represented. The number of stations is 10. On the 10th of September we closed those applications. BAZ right now is assessing the applications that we got including in those areas (Midlands and Mash East), so as we go into 2026 as part of our strategy, we should be capacitating those stations to ensure that we do not get into the 18th month regulatory mandate by which they should be on air,” said the permanent secretary.

Min Mugadza also thanked the Ministry of Information for its efforts in improving the radio coverage of Diamond FM to 100 percent but noted a few areas left out.

“However, there are some parts in the province that are still to get radio coverage and it is my hope that your Ministry will prioritize these areas in the next budget. The areas I am referring to Hon Minister are Buhera, Honde valley, Rusape, parts of Nyanga and Chipinge, and Headlands,” said the resident Minister.