Connect with us

In the community

Radio silence in Zimbabwe: information  gap persists for rural communities

Published

on

BY EVIDENCE CHENJERAI

A few minutes before 7 PM on a chilly September evening, Violet Chisango fumbles with the small solar-powered radio she bought 15 years ago.

Advertisement

After checking that the battery is full, she tunes in to Voice of America’s “Studio 7.”

She has waited all day for the local news on this pirate radio station, beamed 13,000 kilometres to her home in Zimbabwe’s southeastern Masvingo province via a shortwave frequency from the United States.

“‘Studio 7’ is reliable,” she says. “This is where I have been getting information on issues about coronavirus.”

Advertisement

Without her trusty radio, she would not have learned that vaccines had become available — and gotten her shot last summer.

These evening broadcasts, on the only signal strong enough to reach her home, also keep her family informed about school closures and cyclone warnings; she shares whatever she hears with her neighbors, too.

Chisango is one of millions of Zimbabweans with limited access to news due to a combination of the government’s tight control over broadcasting licenses, inadequate communications and electrical infrastructure, and the high cost needed to amplify the few existing, distant signals.

Advertisement

This information gap can be life-threatening for rural communities — home to two-thirds of the country’s 15 million people — left in the dark about Covid-19 and the spread of the new omicron variant, natural disasters and other threats.

In Chimanimani, a village in eastern Zimbabwe, Moses Muyambo missed Cyclone Idai broadcast alerts in March 2019 and badly injured his legs when floodwater swept him away.

Determined to keep residents safer in the future, community leaders have been working on plans for a local radio station, which was granted a license earlier this year, says Panganai Chirongera, a town councillor.

Advertisement

In cities, Zimbabweans with disposable income and stable electricity can get news from a range of national TV and radio stations, satellite channels and internet services.

Satellite technology costs about US$100 for one household, with monthly subscription fees starting at US$$7.

The average urban household earns about US$172 a month, according to a December 2020 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee report.

Advertisement

In contrast, an April 2020 survey by the committee reported the average rural household earns just US$33 a month.

Access to information is a human right, one that has been denied to the majority of the country, says Noveti Muponora, a legislator for Mount Darwin North, a district 160 kilometers northeast of Harare.

“In my area, they are tuning to Mozambique radio stations or pirate radio stations,” he says, adding that he has continuously appealed to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, which oversees the country’s airwaves, for the installation of boosters so that Mount Darwin residents can receive TV and radio signals.

Advertisement

After maintaining tight control over radio and TV broadcasting rights since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe’s government has begun responding to the rising tide of local and global voices advocating for more accessible and affordable sources of news.

The Digital Terrestrial Television Project (known as ZimDigital), working to upgrade Zimbabwe’s broadcasting grid, is 40 percent complete with 18 of 48 TV transmitters updated and five of 25 radio transmitters installed, according to a May report compiled by the government and the United Nations.

The project began in 2015, based on recommendations from the International Telecommunication Union, a U.N. agency specialized in information technologies, and has been allocated US$7.6 million toward completion this year.

Advertisement

While acknowledging that the project has taken longer than expected, the broadcasting authority’s acting chief executive officer Matthias Chakanyuka expresses confidence that the results will significantly improve information access for rural Zimbabweans.

“The poor reception due to old equipment is currently being addressed through the digitalization project,” he writes, in an email.

“However, the complete switchover is a gradual process.

Advertisement

“Some areas which did not have television and radio reception have benefited from the digitalisation project.

“The government has made tremendous progress in providing funding towards the completion of the digitalization project.”

Even if broadcast signals could reach every household, however, not all Zimbabweans would be able to listen.

Advertisement

Less than half of respondents to a 2019 household survey conducted by Unicef and Zimbabwe’s National Statistics Agency reported having a TV or radio in their home; less than one-third reported having internet access on any device.

The cost and scrutiny required for a broadcasting license also has a chilling effect on prospective news sources.

The broadcasting authority application fee for a national radio or TV station’s 10-year license costs US$2,500, followed by a US$7,500 public inquiry fee; the annual renewal fee costs US$15,000 for radio to US$18,000 for TV stations, respectively.

Advertisement

“Diversity is needed especially during the global coronavirus pandemic, where communities need access to information in a manner they can understand,” says Patience Zirima, director of Media Monitors, an organization that identifies and analyses editorial and advertising trends.

In Zimbabwe, the government has a disproportionate amount of control over broadcasting licenses and station management, according to the 2021 Media Law Handbook for Southern Africa, published by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, a German political research foundation.

“International best practice requires that an independent regulatory authority license broadcasting services and associated frequencies,” the report says, noting that Zimbabwe is among countries that have laws “establishing a public or national broadcaster, but these do not operate as public broadcasters because the boards of all of them are appointed by members of the executive.”

Advertisement

Critics like John Masuku, executive director of the pirate Radio VOP station based in Bulawayo, the country’s second-largest city, complain that licenses are granted more quickly to applicants with political connections and that rural communities remain underserved.

Still, they agree that the information gap has narrowed in the past decade.

Before 2012, Zimbabwe had only one licensed TV station and four radio stations, all operated by the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

Advertisement

Today, the country has seven licensed TV stations and 36 radio stations, including six campus radio stations.

After two rejections, Masuku says that Radio VOP has opted to focus on using internet platforms, such as podcasts and social media, but he applauds the ongoing advocacy efforts of other stations and community leaders to expand the public airwaves.

“It took ages,” he says. “But we are happy that it has happened.” – Global Press Journal

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Slider

Tsholotsho burglar lands six-month jail term

Published

on

BY COURT REPORTER

A Tsholotsho man’s life of crime came crashing down when he was sentenced to six months in prison for burglary.

Advertisement

Mengesi Sibanda, 26, from Susumani line, was convicted of stealing ZAR1600 in cash from a complainant’s bedroom on January 9.

The court heard that Sibanda had unlocked the complainant’s bedroom door and made off with the cash. He then gave ZAR1500 to his accomplice, Zikhiye Ncube, who transported the stolen money to South Africa and handed it over to Sibanda’s wife.

Meanwhile, Sibanda blew ZAR100 of the stolen cash on beer at local outlets.

Advertisement

In passing sentence, the Tsholotsho Magistrates’ Court condemned Sibanda’s actions, saying he had shown no remorse for his crime.

Sibanda was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended on condition of restitution. He will serve an effective six months behind bars.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Lupane

Lupane man jailed for 12 months over domestic violence

Published

on

BY STAFF REPORTER 

A Lupane man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for physically abusing his wife on two separate occasions.

Advertisement

The incidents occurred on December 27, 2024, and January 2 this year, with the accused assaulting his wife with open hands, fists, and a whip, causing injuries to her face and body.

The court heard that the first incident was sparked by a domestic dispute over the complainant’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve.

The accused became violent, assaulting his wife, who managed to escape and seek refuge at her aunt’s homestead.

Advertisement

In a shocking turn of events, the accused visited his wife at her aunt’s homestead, seeking forgiveness, and she agreed to return home with him.

However, upon their arrival, the accused again accused his wife of infidelity and assaulted her multiple times with a whip.

The court sentenced the accused to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended on condition of good behavior.

Advertisement

In Zimbabwe, domestic violence is a serious crime, and perpetrators can face up to 10 years in prison under the Domestic Violence Act [Chapter 5:16]. The court’s decision in this case sends a strong message that domestic violence will not be tolerated.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nkayi

Back to school blues: Nkayi villagers struggle to pay fees amidst drought and economic hardship

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Villagers in Nkayi have  expressed concerns about the socioeconomic difficulties they face as schools reopen.

Advertisement

At Mathetshaneni Primary School, parents struggled to pay the previous term’s fees of $25, with only 20% managing to do so.

“The situation is dire,” said a traditional leader, Sitshengisiwe Sibanda from Liver Khumalo’s jurisdiction. “Now, the school fees have been increased to $30 per term, which is unaffordable for most parents.”

Villager, Daina Ncube, echoed Sibanda’s sentiments: “We’re already struggling to make ends meet due to the drought and El Nino. How are we expected to pay such high fees?”

Advertisement

Another parent, Lewis Dube, added: “It’s not just the fees; we’re also struggling to provide basic necessities like food and clothing for our children. The government needs to intervene and provide support to vulnerable families.”

The villagers’ concerns are compounded by the fact that many families rely on subsistence farming, which has been severely impacted by the drought.

As schools reopen, the villagers are calling on the government to provide relief measures, such as fee subsidies or waivers, to support struggling families.

Advertisement

“We’re not asking for much,” said the traditional leader. “Just a little support to help our children access education. It’s their future that’s at stake.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage