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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

ZBC’s Montrose Studios in Bulawayo are being transformed into a centre for educational broadcasting and indigenous language development. The Government-funded project, led by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, includes installing two advanced television studios and ten radio studios.

Montrose will also house dedicated education studios, a national first, where teachers will deliver curriculum-based content. This is a joint initiative between ZBC and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, which has provided radio equipment.

ZBC acting chief executive officer, Charles Munganasa, yesterday said that while Montrose Studios has been neglected in the past, the Second Republic has prioritised its transformation. He made the remarks following an assessment of the installation progress by the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Omphile Marupi.

“We are upgrading the television and radio infrastructure at our Montrose Studios. We are modernising the studios. Under the Second Republic, we have seen a tremendous improvement in support for the development of critical infrastructure such as studios and transmission networks. For some time, Montrose Studios had not been prioritised in terms of capital investment. But thanks to the Second Republic, we are receiving the support needed to revamp the systems,” Munganasa said.

He said once the installations are complete, Montrose Studios will become a centre for the development of Zimbabwe’s indigenous languages. Zimbabwe has 14 indigenous languages out of its 16 official languages, which also include English and Sign Language.

Dr Omphile Marupi

“We envisage that after the upgrades, we will have enough facilities for heritage-based broadcasting, in line with the national vision of leaving no one and no place behind. We want to amplify the voices of indigenous languages. Montrose is the hub for content production in the southern region.”

Munganasa confirmed that one television studio has been successfully installed and equipment for the second is expected by the end of the month. With the new television studio, ZBC operations at Montrose will be equivalent to those at their Pockets Hill Studio. Four of the ten new radio studios have also been installed.

Munganasa said that ZBC will now house the education studios, providing teachers with access to disseminate heritage-based education content.

“As a public broadcaster, our mandate is to inform, educate and entertain the nation. So, we are partnering with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, which has provided technical resources to make this possible. We are going to have heritage-based programming, leveraging the infrastructure we are building at Montrose Studios.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will provide skilled and experienced resources in the form of teachers, who will deliver lessons in all the national languages.”

Deputy Minister Marupi said the transformation of ZBC Montrose Studios reflects President Mnangagwa’s policy of inclusive development.

“We are here in fulfilment of His Excellency’s mantra that no community, no place and no one should be left behind. This shows that places like Montrose, which were somewhat neglected, are now being attended to. This area is developing rapidly because His Excellency wants to see infrastructure across the country being improved and spruced up.”

Deputy Minister Marupi said that the development of Montrose Studios is expected to bring social, financial, political, regional, linguistic, and cultural benefits. He challenged ZBC to strengthen broadcasting in languages such as Nambya, Xhosa and Kalanga, among other indigenous languages, which he said were being overshadowed by isiNdebele on Khulumani FM.

“The reason we started Khulumani FM was to amplify those languages. But at the moment, we have presenters who join the station promising to present in Xhosa, Kalanga, or Nambya, but then they switch to Ndebele. We don’t want a replica of National FM.

“We need you to strengthen this because communities out there are sensitive to their languages, and when they express their anger, it is directed at politicians, rather than those who are failing them,” Dr Marupi said.–@nqotshili