Each year, ZACRAS joins the rest of world in commemorating World Radio Day. This year, the ZACRAS World Radio celebrations will commence with a public meeting to be held at the Book Café on Thursday the 12th of February 2015 from 1730hrs to 2000hrs.The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Honorable Prof. Jonathan Moyo will deliver a key note on the topic- “The Future of Community Broadcasting in Zimbabwe”. The public meeting will also encompass a documentary screening of the work done by community radios found in various parts of Zimbabwe.
On the 13th of February 2015, ZACRAS will hold a roadshow at 1st Mall near the Police base from 1200hrs to 1400hrs. A number of artists are lined up to perform including Madzitateguru and Jivilika.
The World Radio is a day set aside , every year on the 13th of February , by the United Nations to celebrate the power of radio. The United Nations World Radio day theme for 2015 is “Youth & Radio”, while the ZACRAS local theme is “Broadcasting Diversity and Pluralism- Beyond 2015”.The ZACRAS theme seeks to ensure that as we move forward, the Zimbabwe government pays attention to broadcasting diversity through licensing diverse broadcasting players, amongst them community radios. ZACRAS recognizes the work done by various communities in their quest to be on air so as to deliberate developmental issues that face them daily. ZACRAS believes that community radio as one of the tiers within the broadcasting system, is the most accessible to communities and therefore most effective in addressing issues that are peculiar to respective communities through utilizing local languages and resources.
ZACRAS notes the progress and work done by the Government of Zimbabwe in the broader broadcasting sector. We continue to follow the process with hope and confidence that the community radio sector will be afforded attention in the very near future. As we commemorate the 2015 World Radio day, we again urge the Government of Zimbabwe to do the following:
– to continue developing the broadcasting sector by now licensing community radios scattered around the country
-take measures to support community radio development through the creation of a conducive policy and operational environment.
ZACRAS remains confident that as Zimbabwe moves forward, community broadcasting remains a national agenda requiring urgent attention from the Government and other development oriented organisations.
For more information please do contact the following:
Vivienne Marara- 0772 982 134- ZACRAS National Coordinator
Gift Mambipiri- 0772 717 994- ZACRAS National Chairperson
Kudzai Kwangwari- 0775 093 384- ZACRAS Program Officer
