The Beitbridge community has hailed the Second Republic for issuing them a broadcasting licence for a radio station that broadcasts predominantly in the Venda language.
The licence fulfils several criteria in the Second Republic’s media reform agenda.
Community radio is seen as playing a critical roll in development, devolution and in ensuring that all language groups can have content in their own language.
Beitbridge Shashe community radio, commonly known as Lotsha FM, covers a radius of 60km.
It went on air in December last year on the 90.1 frequency.
On Saturday, the station went on air with a full complement of presenters, DJs and news anchors.
Fourteen community radio stations have been granted broadcasting licences to help address issues of communication and underdevelopment in some parts of the country.
The Government and its agencies have so far spent US$40 000 to set up the Beitbridge community radio, which will be officially launched soon.
Station manager Miss Progress Moyo said they had lined up a lot of informative, educative, interactive and development related programmes to contribute meaningfully to development in Beitbridge.
“We are happy to have this community radio station and we are grateful to the community for playing an active role in defining content, programmes that will help in the developmental issues around this area,” she said.
Miss Moyo said they had a mixed bag of new and veteran presenters, who were determined to contribute to the successful transformation of Beitbridge district.
Popular Beitbridge house music artist Elizabeth Masuka, affectionately known as Lizzy Bae, said having a local radio station was a dream come true for many of her colleagues and they were looking forward to having more airplay on the radio station.
Lawyer Mr Pithey Magumula said: “The radio station is very informative; it is touching almost every corner of the Beitbridge community.
“As a lawyer, I would say people perish for they do not have knowledge. Platforms like this provide an opportunity for the community to be educated on legal issues they face almost every day.”
Prominent Beitbridge director of ceremonies Miss Patience Moyo, known in her industry as MC Peshy, said community radio stations were important in raising awareness and promoting development and gender mainstreaming countrywide.
She said the radio station will help the community to get news and information faster than before and educate the local people on issues around the local language and culture preservation.
Beitbridge’s head of Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Aards) Mr Masauso Mawocha said: “We are very happy to have this community radio which will help us improve on service delivery through timeous information dissemination concerning agriculture related activities”.
Veteran football administrator and referee Mr Pathutshedzo Munyai said the community radio will help grow local talent and improve sporting activities.
One of the sports presenters at Lotsha FM, Eric ‘Danda’ Mulaudzi, said: “I am more than happy considering that we can now expose our local talent, across all sporting disciplines. This station motivates sports personalities to work hard as they know that radio presenters are following them.
“In fact, Lotsha FM is really a blessing to us as presenters since we have been given the platform to showcase our talents.”
Matabeleland South now has community radio stations broadcasting in Venda, Sotho, Kalanga and Ndebele. – The Herald
