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GZU celebrates radio festival in style

SHANNISE DZOBO

MASVINGO – Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) commemorated the Radio Festival in style last week where 14 radio personalities were awarded certificates after a two-day training at the institution.

Certificates were conferred to 14 radio personalities that were derived from the 14 community radio stations around Zimbabwe and one commercial radio station Hevoi FM in Masvingo.

Permanent Secretary in the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana, who was standing in for the guest of honour, Minister Jenfan Muswere, said that the community radio stations are key drivers of development and enablers of information dissemination to the citizenry from the grassroots up to the national level.

“Community radio stations are key drivers of development and enablers of information dissemination to the citizenry from the grassroots up to the national level and this compliments government’s education 5.0 whose thrust is to have students lead in research and innovation as well as serve the community”, said Mangwana.

“In that vein, I applaud GZU for not only leading in the provision of information to the community but also capacitating sugar cane and traditional grains farmers through contract farming”.

Mangwana went on to reiterate that as the ministry is striving to bridge the information gap between rural and urban communities, community radio stations are the link that was missing in the information puzzle and the era of misinformation and disinformation with social media at the heart of it the citizenry relies on community radio stations for authentic information.

Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira applauded the institution for hosting the radio festival and witnessing the radio personalities from all the community radio stations being awarded with certificates.

“I am happy to be at GZU today where we are witnessing journalists from all the community radio stations being awarded certificates and it is indeed a very important development in the broadcasting sector in our motherland”, said Chadzamira.

“GZU has demonstrated leadership in complementing government efforts in community broadcasting and I am convinced that universities are better placed to run community media than any other entity”.

Chadzamira added that GZU has what it takes to run a campus TV station and asked the ministry to consider and allow the institution to have the license so that they continue promoting development, cultural identity and heritage in communities.

Campus Radio director, Golden Maunganidze who was also present at the festival stated that they aimed to make the radio festival bigger and better and it is their wish as an institution to be a Centre of Excellence in journalism and broadcasting.

“With the achievements we have made within the three years we have been existing, I have confidence that what the acting vice-chancellor has said can surely be achieved and I do not see anything that can stop us from running a Centre of Excellence in Journalism and Broadcasting”, said Maunganidze.

“We would like to have a Campus TV, Radio Station, Broadcasting Academy and student-run newspaper all under the centre”.

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