“Government will only start licensing community radio stations when the national transmission grid has adequately been upgraded and digitalised,” said Ivanhoe Gurira, the director of international communications services at World Radio Day commemorations over the weekend.
Zimbabwe is lagging behind in the liberalisation of airwaves with countries like South Africa and Zambia already way ahead. South Africa has got nearly 120 community radio stations while Zambia had its first in 1994.
The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations has been trying in vain to convince the government to issue licences to its members for several years. Some have already set up studios like Nkabazwe in Gweru, Twasumpuka in Binga, Wezhira in Masvingo and Kumakomo in Mutare and are only awaiting licences to start broadcasting.
George Charamba, the permanent secretary in the information ministry, has in the past indicated that the community radios wishing to start operating cannot be licensed because they are not inclusive of key groups in societies. But ZACRAS insists that they are indeed inclusive of not only chiefs, youth, women and farmers but also people living with disabilities.
ZACRAS is now seeking audience with Information Minister Jonathan Moyo on the issue.
Post published in: Human Rights