By Panashe Karidzagundi.
BEITBRIDGE Community radio station Lotsha FM 90.1 has appealed for financial and corporate support to strengthen its operations and continue serving the Beitbridge community through quality broadcasting.
Speaking during the station’s fundraising dinner, Lotsha FM Station Manager Miss Progress Moyo said the community radio station had become an important platform for preserving culture, promoting education and providing information to communities across Beitbridge District.
She said Lotsha FM was established to broadcast quality radio programming in Tshivenda, promote and preserve indigenous culture, deliver local, national and international news, encourage community participation and foster partnerships with other community radio stations in Zimbabwe.
“Our mission is to be the light of the community by providing sustainable, quality broadcasting services, while our vision is to become a radio station that radiates development programmes and brings real change and sustainability to Beitbridge,” said Moyo.
Broadcasting on 90.1 FM, the station reaches communities within a 70-kilometre radius of Beitbridge Town, including Mtetengwe, Malala, Lutumba, Tshamnanga, Tongwe, Dzinganwa, River Ranch, Panda Mine, Tshipise, Sentinel, Bishopstone and several surrounding areas.
The station has also expanded its audience through social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.
Moyo said as a station we have achieved several milestones since the station’s establishment, including the acquisition of a public address system, backup power equipment, office furniture, computers, smartphones and a generator through donations from government officials, businesspeople and well-wishers.
She also acknowledged the Beitbridge Rural District Council for paying the station’s annual broadcasting licence fees, as well as other partners who have supported staff training, studio improvements, reporter accreditation and sporting activities for employees.
Despite these achievements, Moyo said the station continues to face operational challenges and requires financial support to meet essential expenses such as staff salaries, rental costs and maintaining transmission services.
“Lotsha FM is your station. When we speak, Beitbridge speaks. When we educate, Beitbridge grows. When we preserve culture, Beitbridge remembers who we are,” she said.
She invited individuals, businesses and development partners to invest in the station’s future through donations, sponsorships and partnerships.
“We are not asking for charity. We are inviting you to own this vision with us. Every dollar you give will help keep Lotsha FM strong, independent and community-focused,” she said.
The fundraising dinner brought together government officials, business leaders, community representatives and development partners committed to supporting the growth and sustainability of community broadcasting in Beitbridge.