Vision Community Radio Macha

Today, Vision Community Radio Macha was privileged to host the committee on information and broadcasting services of the National Assembly at Macha. The visiting team was a composition of six Members of parliament and one representative to the clerk of the National Assembly. The radio station was represented by the station manager Mr. Fred Mweetwa, the radio station Board Chairman Mr. Phanuel Hachizibe, Macha Mission Hospital Clinical Manager Mr. Abraham M’hango, and LinkNet Chief Operations Officer Mr. Gregory Mweemba.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA ZAMBIA) donated operational equipment to Vision Community Radio Macha today. The following equipment was donated: two motorbikes (125sXL), two computes, two recorders, and one printer/copier. Upon delivering this equipment, the district commissioner for Choma district, Chief Macha, Macha Mission Hospital and the entire Macha community was informed about the development.

After the ravaging fires enveloped Vision Community Radio Macha on 24 November 2007, the progress or rebuilding has been encouraging. Visits to Lusaka to plead for funds to rebuild the new radio station have been made and funds were acquired to purchase the new building through support by Media Trust Fund. This ensures continuation of the road towards radio broadcasting at rural Macha.

Immediately after the purchase of the new building from Chief Macha, building of internal walls commenced. This work is supported through PrivaServe Foundation from the Netherlands, as part of the drive to reestablish the community center functions at Macha. Ubuntu Rural Building activities has been building using Hydroform blocks and also roofing has started. The station is predicted to be on-air by May 2008.

Building of the internal walls have started, despite the heavy rains in the Macha area:

Vision Community Radio Macha Society today signed a Contract of Sale with Chief Macha, and thus purchased a half finished building at Chief Macha's area, at the entrance of Macha Mission. Media Trust Fund provided the ZMK 30 mln funding for this building, donors via PrivaServe Foundation have pledged support for initial building costs. A major step forward toward reestablishing Vision Community Radio Macha in a grand manner.

Today, at 09.00 hours, Vision Community Radio Macha went silent, while raging fire consumed the radio station and Vision Community Center Macha. The fire started most probably at the station, which was operating unmanned at the time. When smoke was detected, it was already too late to salvage any of the equipment or documents at the station. Thes are pictures of the tragic events:

An enormous amount of messages of regret were received by Station Manager Fred Mweetwa. Some commented: "with the radio station we were in the light, now we have gone in the dark again". Partners were contacted right away to start a concerted effort aiming to bring the station back on air as soon as possible.

Today agreement was reached with Pannar Seed (Zambia) Limited on sponsoring programs at Vision Community Radio Macha. Pannar would like to broadcast their agriculture program, certainly now the planting season is approaching. The agreed program to be aired at Vision Community Radio Macha will focus on promotion of Pannar seed.

Pannar Seed Zambia Limited is scattered all over Zambia and they have wide range of promotion programs on different radio stations. At the coverage area of the radio station Pannar has a number of sales points. Those are, for example, in Mabweatuba, Kabanze and Mapanza area.

This agreement between Pannar and Vision Community Radio Macha is valid for 32 days. Programs will be aired between 27 October and 15 December 2007.

On Pannar: this company has its origins deeply rooted in agriculture. It was founded in 1958 in Greytown, a thriving agricultural community situated in the heart of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, on the Eastern Seaboard of South Africa. Then, In 1960, Pannar initiated its hybrid maize breeding programme and began developing its own improved cultivars, specifically adapted to meet the needs of farmers in Southern Africa. A few years later, it became the first private seed company in South Africa to register a maize hybrid for the local market. Over the years many more PAN hybrids followed with demand exceeding all expectations and Pannar grew rapidly to its current position as a regional market leader and global player.

Media Trust Fund (MTF) has agreed to take on sustainability support for Vision Community Radio Macha for a period of one year, starting September 2007. Media Trust Funds' director Beston N'gonga pledged his support to cater for this period in which the capacity of the station will improved. The pledge was substantiated during discussions with Vision Community Radio Macha on status of developments, which discussions take during regular intervals at MTF's offices