PICTURE: Director for CCDI Mr Hebert Pikela (right) receiving an award from
Pastor Strike Manganyi (right) of SABC Munghana Lonene FM
CENTRE for Cultural Development Initiatives (CCDI), a Chiredzi based community development organisation has been honoured by South Africa Broadcasting Corporation’s Munghana Lonene FM (SABC MLFM), a Tsonga language radio station that broadcasts from Limpopo Province. The broadcaster awarded a certificate of recognition to the director of CCDI Mr Hebert Pikela on 3 October 2016 for the sterling work that the organisation is doing in uplifting communities surrounding national parks in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The three countries are signatories to The Great Limpopo Trans-Frontier Park agreement which amalgamates Gonarezhou, Limpopo and Kruger national parks of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa respectively. Before presenting the award, SABC MLFM accorded Mr Pikela a two-hour talk show on a programme called Minkondzo ya Tinghwazi (Footprints of Legends) which is hosted by Pastor Strike Munganyi on Sundays between 8pm and 10pm. Commenting on the award, Mr Pikela said: "This award is not about CCDI as an organisation but an honour to Zimbabwe as a country." CCDI's regional flagship, the Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair takes place at Boli Muhlanguleni showgrounds in Chiredzi every July. It draws cultural groups, artistes and business people from the three countries who exhibit and share ideas. This year CCDI engaged The Manica Post weekly newspaper and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) as the fair's official print and electronic media partners respectively. SABC has proposed to co-partner ZBC for the coverage of the forthcoming editions of the trade fair.