Media Programme

NiZA believes that every person should have the opportunity to find and receive information. Access to information is an important requirement for full participation in society and for making informed choices. However, in many countries in Southern Africa, people who live outside the big cities and people who have limited financial resources have no access to information relevant to society.

Illiteracy, poverty and logistical limitations – which make it very difficult to distribute newspapers, for example – makes radio the most important channel for information and communication for these people. Unfortunately, the conversion from state broadcasting companies to public broadcasters still has a long way to go in Southern Africa. In some countries, state broadcasting companies still hold a monopoly on national broadcasting rights. This gives governments a great deal of power over the contents of the information that reaches the people.

NiZA supports media and other civil society organisations that strive to achieve full access to information for all the people of Southern Africa. We do so by making it possible for partners to champion legal guarantees, but also by supporting alternative media by means of research and training. The aim of providing such support it to increase the coverage of diverse, independent media and other information providers and to ensure that they produce information that is relevant to their target audience.

Example: Radio Maendeleo

Radio Maendeleo is an independent radio station in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The station sends its transmissions from Bukavu, a turbulent area in the east of the country, broadcasting a mixture of news, infotainment and educational programmes in French, Swahili and all the local languages. The radio station does all it can to provide people with as much complete information as possible on social, political and economic issues. Radio Maendeleo also coordinates a network of local radio stations in the eastern region.

NiZA supports Radio Maendeleo and its network in part by financing workshops, listener surveys and training courses on journalism, radio technology and ICT.

Election caravan

Working in cooperation with a number of other NiZA partners, Radio Maendeleo participated last year in the election caravan that went into the inland regions of Eastern Congo to bring the first free elections in forty years to the attention of the local population.

Using support from NiZA, the caravan was able to visit locations that are difficult to reach, where very little information is generally available. Along the way, discussions were organised with the local government and the local population. Information about the elections was also distributed. The journalists from Radio Maendeleo made special radio broadcasts that included extensive showcasing of the opinions of the local population.

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