Zambia: Catholic Radio Kabangabanga celebrates ten years
Fr. Wilbroad Musonda – Solwezi
Addressing the people of North Western Province in a live broadcast on Saturday, 12 October 2024, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Church’s community radio station, Bishop Kasonde congratulated the Catholic Christians and people of goodwill for their loyalty to the Church’s initiative.
A radio for integral human development
Bishop Kasond expressed satisfaction and appreciation with the level of support the radio station has received from the people of North Western Province in the last ten years.
“Indeed, I want to say congratulations to the Catholic Diocese, to you all, Catholic Christians, our brothers and sisters in the North Western Province, and people of goodwill who have been using the radio station,” said Bishop Kasonde.
The Solwezi prelate said that among some of the radio station’s aims were the need to spread the Good News of the Gospel, encourage integral human development, and provide information and education on a wide range of issues that affect the people of Solwezi Diocese and North Western Province.
Fostering good relations in communities
Kabangabanga, a “star” in the local KiKaonde language widely spoken in the area, was chosen as the name of the radio and “designed to make it the star of the province,” said Bishop Kasonde.
The Bishop encouraged the radio station producers to continue with community-oriented radio programmes that help build and foster good relationships among community members and tribes of the region.
“As we celebrate the ten years of existence of this radio station, we also look back at our history -where we are coming from as we face the future -where we are going,” he said.
Earlier in his homily during the Thanksgiving Mass, Bishop Kasonde urged all Christians to pray for the radio station so that it truly becomes a voice and a star visible to the local Church and community at large.
Commenting on Radio Kabangabanga’s ten years of broadcasts, Vatican News—Vatican Radio staffer Father Paul Samasumo of the English Africa Service congratulated the radio station on the milestone.
Speaking during a short radio interview with Radio Kabangabanga, Father Samasumo, who once served as Communications Director at Zambia’s Catholic Secretariat, reminisced about some of the challenges and triumphs faced by the Diocese of Solwezi in setting up the radio station.
Collaboration with Vatican Radio
Father Samasumo, also current SIGNIS World Vice President – the Catholic association for media professionals, highlighted the importance of radio even in a world that has gone digital and regardless of social media’s growth. He said many people, especially in Africa, still depend on radio as a primary and essential source of information and entertainment. Father Samasumo acknowledged and thanked Radio Kabangabanga for re-broadcasting Vatican Radio’s English Africa daily news programme. The continued collaboration, he said, ensures that the voices of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Church of Africa, as well as that of the universal Church are heard and reach into the homes of Kabangabanga listeners daily.
In his vote of thanksgiving during the celebration of Radio Kabangabanga’s anniversary and Open Day, Station Manager Fr. Christopher Sawila thanked Bishop Kasonde for the support he continues to render to the radio station.
“My Lord Bishop, on behalf of management and staff, we thank you for celebrating Mass for Radio Kabangabanga’s tenth anniversary. This shows how you value the Radio as a tool for the Integral Evangelization of God’s people both in the Church and the community of North Western Province,” said Fr. Sawila.
On 28 June 2014, Radio Kabangabanga was officially blessed by the Local Ordinary Bishop Charles Kasonde. It was later officially commissioned by then North Western Provincial Minister, Mr Nathaniel Mubukwanu, in the presence of former Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia and Malawi Archbishop Julio Murat.
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