Broadcasting equipment for Ntepe -Manama radio station

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO 

Government has procured equipment for the Ntepe-Manama community radio station in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province, a move meant to promote, preserve and develop indigenous languages in the country.

It comes after government awarded licenses to 14 community radio stations countrywide.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services deputy minister, Kindness Paradza said during a tour of the radio station last week that the Ntepe-Manama Community Radio Station is expected to start broadcasting before September.

“The radio equipment is there in Harare and I have brought here engineers from Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe  and Transmedia to make sure that they work with the team here and see how best they can install the equipment,” Paradza said.

He added: “And we are happy because of the progress which is here that I think is going to be the second community radio station to be on air. The first one was of course in Chiredzi so we hope that this one is going to be the second.

“Their licenses were language-based, that’s our definition of a community.

The Ntepe Manama Community Radio Station will broadcast in Sesotho and has been encouraged them to go across the borders and benchmark with other radio stations in Botswana, South Africa and other countries so that they can exchange content, Paradza said.

He said Matabeleland South province has been “lucky because they have been allocated four community radio station licenses”.

“This is the only province which has been given four licenses. So it’s good because they will have about four languages spoken around this area. We have Venda, Sesotho, Kalanga and a mixture of other dialects here,” Paradza said.

He said  the radio station was owned by community members with the government assisting with equipment bought through the broadcasting services fund.

“This year it’s about ZWL$1bn. We are going to get some of the money and make sure that we support the community radio stations,” Paradza said.

In 2020, BAZ invited applications for 10 community radio stations, 19 campus radio stations and six TV stations in a move towards opening up the broadcasting sector to new independent players.