Government funding for the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has not been enough to digitize the country’s broadcasting services, in line with international standards, permanent secretary Nick Mangwana told parliament on Monday.
Appearing before the parliamentary portfolio committee on media, information and broadcasting services, Mangwana said lack of funding had also affected other projects and services of the ministry.
But he said delays in the digitalisation of the national broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), was the most critical problem facing the ministry.
“We have the digitalisation project which was started in 2014 and was supposed to be finished a long time ago but because of funding challenges we have not made much progress,” Mangwana said.
“Some of our infrastructure is made up of outdated equipment which poses a challenge to radio transmission and television reception and even in the production departments at ZBC. But we have year after year submitted a budget we believe was suitable for us to leapfrog the broadcasting sector (but no funding is ever made available),” he said.
Mangwana, however, said for the first time in the 2024 budget, a ”sensible” allocation was made to the ministry.
“One of our challenges is the disbursement itself. The money may never come, particularly for capital expenditure,” he said.
He said this year, the ministry hopes to licence community radio stations for special interest groups such as religious organisations.
Speaking at the same occasion, Transmedia corporation chief executive officer, Adonia Mushosho said the focus this year would be to improve community radio transmission.
“In 2024 we want to expand the radio coverage in Zimbabwe,” he said. New Ziana
