By Environment Reporter-Chipinge, long vulnerable to climate disasters, is once again mourning the tragic loss of seven lives following the catastrophic burst of Bandama Dam two weeks ago.
The disaster, which also claimed livestock and left a trail of destruction downstream, has reignited concerns over disaster preparedness in the region.
At the heart of the conversation is Vemuganga Community Radio, a station struggling with limited reach despite its potential to be a life-saving tool in raising climate change awareness and disaster preparedness.
The station’s coordinator, Claris Madhuku, has issued a passionate appeal for increased broadcasting coverage, arguing that wider reach could significantly reduce the impact of climate-related disasters.
Currently, Vemuganga FM is restricted to a 10km² broadcasting radius, an area far too small to effectively serve a district as vast and disaster-prone as Chipinge.
Under the existing licensing framework, community radio stations should be permitted at least 40km² of coverage, which would allow Vemuganga FM to reach the most vulnerable areas, including Wards 7 and 10, which fall within its licensed territory.
“The role of community radio stations like Vemuganga FM in disaster management cannot be overstated. If we had a wider coverage area, we could have disseminated life-saving information before the dam burst, potentially reducing the damage by half,” said Madhuku.
Chipinge’s vulnerability is far from over. Authorities have sounded alarm bells over six more dams in the district that arenow at risk of collapse, threatening over 600 families downstream.
The District Development Coordinator, William Mashava, who also chairs the Chipinge Civil Protection Unit (CPU), has warned that New Castle Dam, which spans Lots 8, 11, and 12, is on the verge of giving way.
Despite this looming catastrophe, the government’s response has been sluggish.
A site visit by government officials, including the Minister of State for Manicaland, the Deputy Minister for Local Government, and the Deputy Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Development, took place 48 hours after the disaster, a move critics, including Madhuku, have dismissed as merely cosmetic.
The 2019 Cyclone Idai disaster, which killed hundreds and displaced thousands in Chipinge and Chimanimani, was a wake-up call for authorities to prioritize disaster preparedness.
As part of the response, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) licensed two community radio stations—Vemuganga FM and Ndau FM—partly to serve as early warning systems for climate disasters.
However, Madhuku points out that these stations are still woefully underutilised, operating within a combined reach of only 10km²—less than 1% of Chipinge district’s total land area of 5,220km².
Coordination between the BAZ, Transmedia, and disaster response agencies has been poor, leaving critical gaps in public information and awareness.
Madhuku insists that expanding the coverage and upgrading the equipment of community radio stations like Vemuganga FM is not just about enhancing communication—it is about saving lives.
“If local community radio stations are given modern equipment and their broadcasting range is increased, Chipinge will have a better chance at responding to disasters effectively. The level of panic, misinformation, and disinformation we handled during this dam burst was unnecessary—properly functioning community radios could have prevented it,” he said.
The recent disaster has also exposed weaknesses in coordination among key stakeholders, including private dam owners, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), Chipinge Rural District Council (RDC), the Civil Protection Unit (CPU), and civic organizations.
Madhuku stresses that these actors must be aligned to strengthen monitoring, improve disaster awareness, and create an effective early warning system.