via ZACRAS apologised to Jonathan Moyo for the failed broadcasting indaba – The Zimbabwean 16 February 2015 by Tavada Mafa
The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations ZACRAS says it was to blame for the flop of the broadcasting stakeholders’ meeting last week .
The community radio initiatives’ umbrella body last Thursday had invited Information Minister Jonathan Moyo to give a presentation on government’s position on the licensing of community radio stations and digitalization which is due this June.
The minister did not pitch up and the meeting was called off.
But before the meeting was cancelled the Minister summoned ZACRAS coordinator Vivian Marara and her chair Gift Mambipiri to his Munhumutapa offices for a debriefing.
In an exclusive interview with TheZimbabwean at the weekend , ZACRAS chairperson Gift Mambipiri said there was a communication breakdown between his organization and the Minister’s office.
“We had a fruitful meeting with Minister Moyo who expressed dismay over the way the meeting was organized .The Minister said he arrived at the venue at exactly 1730hrs but was told that he should wait until 1800hrs.As a busy senior government official he could not wait and he went to attend to other commitments,”
“We apologized to him and agreed with him that we reorganize the function where he would present his speech .We have this morning written a letter to his office asking for another date which he is free.”
A senior ZACRAS official told The Zimbabwean last night the Minister was under pressure from his superiors to come and meet the community radio lobbyists.
There are no community radio stations in Zimbabwe and government is yet to license one.
Over the years there has been contestations between government and the civil society on the definition and composition of a community radio station.
There has been a misunderstanding between government and ZACRAS over the definition of community a community radio station.
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