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John Masuku

THE advent of majority rule in 1980 culminated in the convergence of different broadcasting skills gained from inside and outside the country during the struggle for freedom.

What became critical was to forge ahead with a new thrust that eliminated oppressive, divisive traits and mind-sets which had left a large section of the population discriminated in terms of fair participation and content creation and consumption.

It was also a chance to use the power and influence of broadcasting to rehabilitate the country after many years of a protracted war for the liberation of the country.

Three distinct categories of broadcasting personnel emerged soon after the birth of a new Zimbabwe, which included locally-based household names who were employed before Independence; those who had worked and trained in neighbouring countries and overseas as well as those who operated guerrilla radio stations run by liberation movements Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu in different countries. Each group had something to contribute to the development and growth of post-independence broadcasting.

Those who were operating within the country had acquired extensive broadcasting skills and practical experience, but needed to adjust to the new thinking regarding news and programme content values in order to reflect a democratic, inclusive and much globalised society.

Broadcasting during the colonial era was largely structured along racial lines under the Southern Rhodesia, Federal and Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporations which originally ran radio services only.

Rhodesia Television (RTV) was established as a separate private entity in the 1960s and became part of RBC in the mid-1970s as RBC-TV.

The General Service, sometimes referred to as the European Service, was designed distinctly for white English speaking audiences and broadcasters.

The African Service was for blacks, but carried Shona, Ndebele and English programming. However, board, management, engineering and financial positions at the General and African Services were dominated mainly by whites until the late 1970s.

Senior blacks on the RBC African Service in the 1970s like Amon Nyamambi and Dominic Mandizha ranked much lower than their white bosses who occupied the director and programme manager posts.

The programming on RTV was predominantly in English and dominated by western-influenced content and tastes.

Renowned producer of Mukadota TV series Job Jonhera was one of the early producers who in the 1960s was sent for television training at the Thomson Foundation in Wales, United Kingdom.

To cater specifically for Africans, it was decided in the  mid-1970s to open their own separate weekend channels known as Television Mashonaland for Harare and surrounding areas and Television Matabeleland for Bulawayo and its outlying environs.

Despite racial imbalances and thrusts towards undermining the fight for freedom and equality, there was an emphasis on professional delivery, quality control and excellence in programming production newsreading and advertising.

Even during the pre-independence era, locally-based broadcasters identified and promoted a lot of urban and rural-based talent in music, creative arts, sport, storytelling and many other aspects of life which are part of Zimbabwe’s heritage.

With Zanu-PF taking over the reins of power after the 1980 elections, most of the party’s pre-Independence broadcasters who mobilised and conscientised the populace through their daily hour-long Short Wave broadcasts from Maputo in Mozambique into the then Rhodesia took over key management and editorial positions at the sole broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).

Tirivafi John Kangai, a former Zanu-PF representative in the USA was appointed Deputy Director General to Tim Neale, who had been heading RBC, later taking over the baton when Neale left for South Africa.

Grey Tichatonga, now Ambassador Mark Marongwe, one of the Voice of Zimbabwe anchors, was appointed head of News and Current Affairs, while another Webster Shamu, then known as Charles Ndhlovu, who had started his broadcasting career at RBC, took charge as director of radio and television programming.

Victor Mhizha-Murira, who sloganeered in the opening billboards of Maputo revolutionary broadcasts, was given the former African Service renamed Radio Two, now Radio Zimbabwe, while Thomas Mandigora took responsibility for news gathering at Montrose Studios in Bulawayo. From the former African Service, Mandizha was elevated to the higher position of Director: Administration and Personnel.

 

From the Zapu side, the likes of Joseph Masuku and Oliver Juru, formerly based in Lusaka, and Gift Musarurwa and Marilyn Mhambi, who had trained in the Middle East, were also recruited in the news department.

Soon after independence the then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe invited the BBC to study RBC and make recommendations towards future expansion and development.

This resulted in the refocusing of the General Service to be Radio One, broadcasting in English and staffed by white and black Zimbabweans producing programmes to suit all races.

The African Service was renamed Radio Two with emphasis on Shona and Ndebele programmes, including a larger percentage of local and African music.

Additional stations were founded, with Radio Three, now Power FM, targeting young listeners, while Radio Four (now National FM) was set up as an educational and development channel providing airtime to government ministries, non-governmental organisations and giving an opportunity to the people themselves to air their views.

Some prominent broadcasters, then exiled in different parts of the world, also flocked back home to take up important responsibilities.

Temba Basopo Moyo (formerly Nemapare) brought much needed electronic news gathering expertise from the USA, while his counterparts from the same country Webster Fundisayi Mutamba and Lucas Chideya-Chihota also headed back home with various programme making and news production skills. Claude Mararike left his base in Botswana to join the news department.

Returning home to head Radio Four was Stanley Nyahwa, an experienced and polished broadcaster who for many years was a darling of many African Short Wave audiences on Radio Netherlands Worldwide, beaming from the Netherlands.

Leaving his BBC radio engineering job in the United Kingdom with vast experience Phanuel Maramba came back to fill gaps created by the exodus of whites seemingly disgruntled by the advent of independence.

Thomas Dhliwayo and Faith Tonga headed home with critical television technical skills gained from neighbouring Zambia.

Overseas trained radio and television reporters like Christopher Somo (Australia), Godfrey Majonga, Florence Chirisa, Colin McAndrew, Mabel Mundondo Ikpo (United Kingdom), among others, also came back home to help establish a much larger ZBC reporters pool than was previously there before independence.

What united these broadcasters from various, sometimes conflicting backgrounds to work together for a common cause was their strong belief in Zimbabwe’s non-reversible post-colonial development trajectory.

l John Masuku is a veteran radio and television broadcaster and media trainer. You can contact him on: [email protected]