Zimpapers Logo

The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Dr Chris Mushohwe

From George Maponga in Masvingo
INFORMATION, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Christopher Mushohwe has reiterated Government’s commitment to open up the airwaves to enable Zimbabweans tell their own story.

Officially launching Masvingo’s first local commercial radio station, Hevoi FM owned by AB Communications, Dr Mushohwe said the opening up of airwaves dovetailed with Government’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.

“To date a total of eight local commercial radio stations are fully operational with Hevoi as one of them.The Government’s objective is to ensure information reaches every Zimbabwean. We need to give Zimbabweans a platform to tell their stories, struggles,successes,aspirations and radio is an obvious choice,’’ he said.

“The opening of the airwaves weaves in well with the Zim-Asset economic blueprint whose objective among many is to provide an enabling environment for sustainable economic empowerment and social transformation to the people of Zimbabwe.”

Dr Mushohwe said radio remained Africa’s dominant mass medium. He said the opening of local commercial radio stations would augment the work already being done by national radio particularly to champion the promotion of national languages as enshrined in constitution.

Dr Mushohwe said the coming on board of local commercial radio stations like Hevoi FM would be handy for small enterprises around the country that have traditionally not been sufficiently catered for by national radios.

“The SMEs sector employs thousands of our people yet they may not be able to secure space on our airwaves. I am glad to say the local radio stations like Hevoi FM will be a solution to that problem and will act as SMEs trans formative tool,’’ said Dr Mushohwe.

He challenged business in Masvingo to work closely with Hevoi FM.

Dr Mushohwe said historically Masvingo was known for producing talented artistes like Paul Matavire and Hevoi FM provided a platform for the unveiling of more talent.

Dr Mushohwe paid tribute to AB Communications for investing at a time the economy was facing challenges owing to illegal Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, Zimbabweans have been urged to be rational in their push for Government to issue community radio licences. The call was made by Secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba yesterday at the official launch of Masvingo’s Hevoi FM.

He said the noise from some quarters for the issuance of community radio licences was unwarranted.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) rules governing allocation of frequencies speaks to the need to consider national priorities in issuance of such licences.

“We must not be bigoted. We must be rational. Knowledge is how you tether it within a social milieu, lets interrogate the terminology that we use and see whether it has sense in our own circumstances,’’ he said.

“The word ‘community radio’ presupposes that there is a radio that does not serve the community so if there is a radio that does not serve the community who is it speaking to? Does a national radio station not serve a community?’’

Mr Charamba urged Zimbabweans to disabuse themselves from blindly borrowing and applying foreign concepts.

He said some developed countries like England do not have community radios but rather regional radios.

Mr Charamba said those leading calls for Government to licence community radios should feel embarrassed as it had licenced several local commercial radio stations throughout the country like Hevoi FM in Masvingo.