Stakeholders, who included ordinary Harare residents and civil society organisations, gathered here on Saturday and implored the government to issue a licence to this community initiative.
Stewart Musiwa, the coordinator, said community radio was key to local development. ‘Our vision in this whole endeavour is to see community radio playing a leading role in setting community-based developmental agendas and advocating democratic governance and freedom of expression. We are convinced that while the media in general play a critical role in bringing about democratic social change, community radio in particular, by virtue of it being participatory and community-driven, has a greater potential to do so,’ he added.
CORAH was formed in 2003 by a group journalists and residents in Harare, following the enactment of the Broadcasting Services Act (2001) that was intended to ‘free’ the airwaves. But not a single license has been issued to date, with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) maintaining a de facto monopoly on the airwaves. -Â Givemore Chipere