The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) says there is need for strong partnerships between mainstream media and marginalized communities areas so that their voices are also incorporated and represented in the mainstream media especially on issues regarding Covid 19.

By Claudia Chimbo

Speaking during a virtual community reporting reviewing roundtable on the experiences and effectiveness of media workers as front liners organized by Media Centre, ZACRAS national coordinator Vivienne Marara said there is need for engagement between mainstream media and marginalized communities so that they are not left out in the national discourse especially in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic.

“As ZACRAS we have tried to engage marginalized through lobbying for more community radio stations, and after 40years we witnessed the first licensing of the first three community radio stations” she said

“The licensing of only three radio licenses after 40 years is a clear indicator that for many years, Zimbabwean marginalized communities have been excluded in national issues. Since March 2020 to date, Zimbabwe and the world at large has experienced a series of lockdowns due to COVID 19 and this has become the new normal. Information concerning the pandemic is said to be mainly centered on officials which has raised concerns over credible access to information regarding the pandemic” she added

To try and curb the information gaps Marara also indicated that her organization has taken the driver’s seat in making sure that Covid 19 related information is disseminated in different national languages so that marginalized communities are not left out.

She also applauded the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) for fast-tracking gazetting the new fee for journalists’ accreditation and expressed that this will help community media practitioners to have access to crucial and important events so as to provide coverage for these marginalized communities.