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By Lloyd Rabaya
The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) is on a drive to equip and, provide ethics and radio production training for all community radio stations.
Initially, the gesture will be extended to their members and later on cascade to other stations.
The matter came to light when the association conducted a training workshop at the newly opened Mashonaland Central based Madziwa FM.
Speaking during the event, ZACRAS Acting National Coordinator Mr. Mlondolozi Ndlovu promised that his association will render any support they can to all community radio stations.
“The training ensured that the station developed its programming schedules. We will be doing equipment handling, ethics, and radio production training for all radio stations,” he hinted.
Since its inception, ZACRAS has been championing the licensing and sustainability of community radio stations in the country.
Tatenda Makonza, the Madziwa FM station coordinator thanked ZACRAS for the timely gesture.
“As Madziwa FM, we are happy with the support we have been getting from ZACRAS and they have taught us a lot on running a community radio. We are now ready to go on air. We already have engaged Madziwa Council who have given us a space of land to build our station but for now, they have given us their buildings to use as radio station studios,” he said.
Makonza also said that the whole community is in full anticipation of the radio stations.
One citizen journalist who works for the station, Elizabeth Tafira, expressed great joy for the station as initially, she thought the station would go nowhere.
“When we started it was like a joke but now it is shaping up and any time soon we will be going on air, thanks to ZACRAS who have been helping us from time to time. Through them, I am now able to gather news and package it for radio as a citizen journalist,” she said.
Tafira however pleaded with ZACRAS to conduct community programs to encourage more women in the community to venture into the radio project.
Madziwa FM covers 42 wards and is among the 14 licensed community radios stations in Zimbabwe. The Chiredzi-based Avuxeni FM is also on air.
