Radio coverage in Zimbabwe rises

Radio coverage in Zimbabwe has increased from 70 percent to 81 percent, despite the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services operating under severe financial constraints, Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana has revealed.

Mangwana made the disclosure while giving oral evidence before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services yesterday. He attributed the progress to the resourcefulness and resilience of ministry staff, who have continued to deliver despite immense budgetary pressure.

"This ministry is feeding 5 000 with two loaves of bread and five fish," Mangwana said, using a biblical analogy. "Whatever it was, that miracle-this Ministry is performing it. Honourable members, in nine months, we did it."

However, Mangwana warned that the growth in radio coverage is unsustainable without increased funding. He called for enhanced budgetary support, particularly to strengthen community radio stations and district offices.

The ministry has identified a need for approximately ZiG 2.1 billion for 2026 to meet operational requirements, based on a bottom-up budgeting approach that considers needs from the district level upwards.

"The districts that are in our constituencies, in the spirit of devolution, we want those districts enabled, capacitated, to ensure that they actually represent the whole Ministry properly," he said.

Mangwana highlighted the lack of basic resources at district offices, including non-functional offices and outdated vehicles, some dating back to 2008. He noted that ministry staff often rely on borrowed vehicles from other departments to conduct fieldwork.

"Please, save us from this humiliation," he pleaded with the committee.

Despite the ministry's request for ZiG 2.1 billion, only ZiG 533 million was allocated for the upcoming year. The funding shortfall also affects key parastatals, including Transmedia, the signal carrier responsible for maintaining and building transmitters, which requested ZiG 487 million but received only ZiG 3 million.

The Permanent Secretary's testimony underscores the ongoing challenges facing Zimbabwe's broadcasting sector and the need for sustainable investment to maintain and expand radio coverage nationwide.