by Kelvin Wilson Kasiwulaya
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Dr. Golden Maunganidze, a leading Zimbabwean media expert and institution-builder, has been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Journalism from the University of Johannesburg. The thesis, which proposes a new theoretical framework for community broadcasting, was lauded by one university examiner as “needle-shifting” and “one of the most exciting PhD theses I have ever read in my academic career.”
Dr. Maunganidze, a veteran figure in Southern African media development, introduced a novel concept called Humweism (Shona for “festival of work”). This framework offers a critical alternative for theorizing how people participate in media, particularly within the vital context of African community radio.
The doctoral research meticulously investigated the methodologies community radio stations use to genuinely engage “ordinary people” in content creation, decision-making, and setting the editorial agenda. The study advanced a methodological innovation known as studio ethnography—a technique used to decipher the complex interplay between traditional media operations and online forces shaping contemporary media landscapes.
The central empirical finding of the thesis suggests that the structural arrangements within many existing community radio institutions often act as a significant constraint. The study argues that these internal structures prevent non-professional stakeholders from having meaningful involvement in policy and editorial direction, thereby limiting the democratic function of the stations.
The PhD caps years of commitment by Dr. Maunganidze to both media practice and education. His career includes pioneering achievements such as founding the Great Zimbabwe University Campus Radio, the country’s first university-run station, and the community newspaper TellZim News. He currently leads the Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network (ZIJEN) and is the immediate past national and regional board chairman for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) (2017-2024).
The successful completion of this doctoral research provides the field with new theoretical and methodological tools poised to significantly influence media policy and pedagogical approaches worldwide.