Source: Four radio station projects complete | Herald (Top Stories)
Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has completed four radio station projects while it has embarked on other new projects that include the production of obituaries profiling contributions made by heroes and heroines interred at the National Heroes Acre.
This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday.
She said five Ministers presented their 1st 100-Day cycle of 2022 priority projects focusing on several development projects being undertaken by the Second Republic across the country.
They include Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo and Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Mutsvangwa.
Regarding the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Cabinet heard that there were four community radio stations completed that will complement existing ones.
“The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa, outlined the progress made on four on-going projects and four new projects in her sector as follows: the four on-going projects are: Nyangani Community Radio Station, Nyanga, Manicaland; Radio Zimbabwe Studios, Mbare, Harare; National University of Science and Technology Campus Radio, Bulawayo; and Lupane State University Campus Radio Station. These projects are now complete and ready for launch,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Regarding new projects, the Minister said they included the National Development Strategy 1 Spotlight 2021 Production, which seeks to highlight successes of the NDS1.
“Secondly, the Zimbabwe-in-brief production is a periodical documentary which seeks to attract Foreign Domestic Investment and guide potential investors and tourists. The publication acts as an authoritative source document for quick reference in Zimbabwe and outside. Zimbabwe-in-Brief Publication will be done in a visual, physical and digital form in order to reach to a wider audience. The third project which is the National Heroes/Heroines Obituaries production involves the production of a more detailed Heroes’ guide by profiling the life histories and contributions of heroes buried at the National Heroes Acres but who are not included in the current guide,” she said.
Others include the civil works for the Garawa Community Radio Tower Foundation Construction in Chipinge District that is in progress and commissioning is scheduled for end of May 2022.
“This area does not have any existing infrastructure and mobile networks. The Tower will house a community broadcasting transmitter, while mobile network services can be deployed on that Tower thereby improving access to information by these communities,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
The installation of studio equipment for the Nyangani Community Radio Station is complete and installation of transmission equipment is in progress, with commissioning scheduled for end of May 2022.
“The outcome of this project will be increased participation by grassroots Nyanga communities in local and national affairs as well as enhancing diversity and pluralism in radio broadcasting. The community radio station will cater for the Chihwesa speaking communities in Nyanga,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
Information, Publicity and Broadcast Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa
Installation of NUST and Lupane State University campus radio stations and related works are in progress.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the Zim-Digital project was modernising the Radio Zimbabwe studio and as of now, the air conditioning system and console desk for the station’s Mbare Studio E, had been installed.
“The project outcomes are improved radio signal in terms of quality for listeners’ due to migration to digital technology and improved user audiences interaction,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Prof Ncube told Cabinet that the NDS 1 second half-year draft performance report was now in place and is being reviewed.
Cabinet was also told of revenue streams that had been collected by end of February under the Resource Mobilisation Project.
“A total of $98,8 billion had been collected by end of February 2022 against a target of $89,6 billion under the Resource Mobilisation Project. A total of $165,4 billion in taxes and non-tax revenue is earmarked for collection by end of the first quarter of 2022, that a total of $71,2 billion had been disbursed towards employment costs, against a target of $75,03 billion,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
Dr Nzenza outlined several projects aimed at reviving firms that have been subdued owing to various factors while Dr Masuka highlighted projects in the agriculture sector on water resource management, mechanisation, disease surveillance, land management and survey, among others.
Minister Moyo briefed Cabinet on what his ministry is doing on construction of composite buildings, spatial planning programme, maintenance of public buildings, construction of disaster recovery houses, and devolution projects that involve construction of schools, clinics, Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, water and sanitation projects.