I still remember the first time Radio 3 became a 24 hour station in 1997. I was teaching at Kambarami Secondary School just outside Murehwa Center. I was renting a room at the pink house from Mudhara Ndorochena at Murehwa. I was busy with my accounting studies with Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. I went to the then brand new beautiful Westgate Shopping Center in Harare and bought myself a radio cassette radio player from Discom shop. 3 years later I would join AIG Zimbabwe at their Westgate offices.
Back in Murehwa I would wake-up early around 4am to study listening to Radio 3. Growing up in the 80s and early 90s, adults would mostly switch the radio to Radio 2 which alternated between Shona and Ndebele and we were forced to listen to it. The fact that I can understand Ndebele (Zulu) is thanks to Radio 2. In high school we started listening to the mainly American music and a bit of British music on Radio 3. Saturday evenings were special with the reggae session. On New Year we would listen to the top 100 songs, in 1995, I Swear was the best song👌🏿
When I started working in 1996 I would go to the flea market in Union Avenue and bought cassettes from American, Canadian and British singers. I liked one or two songs from local artists but not much to buy their music. End of 1997, I got a permanent job in Harare and I eventually opened an account with Greatermans Stores, I would go to Spinalong in Miekle stores and bought cassettes from international stars that was being played on Radio 3.
In 1999 after a very short stay in Unit J, Chitungwiza where I met my wife in early 1999, there was an advert for a 2 room cottage in Avondale behind St Anne’s Hospital, I went to view the place. It turned out the block of flats belonged to ZBC employees and the flats had been sold to employees. The lady who prepared the lease was working for Radio 1 and she would shortly leave for Canada. I bought a Sharp CD player from Clicks. I stayed in Avondale for 4 years and the place was very convenient as it was a walking distance to Avondale shopping center were I went every weekend for movies.
After 2000 elections, Jonathan Moyo became the minister of information and started making changes to state media and introduced local content. I stopped listening to the radio and I would play my cassettes at home. I never liked the new local music. In 2002 I would get my first car and I would play my cassettes in the car. Later I started subscribing to DSTV and I would watch MTV then it only played music. My neighbour whose garden flat was attached to my cottage Mai Daisy was a producer of the 8pm ZBC News complained to me that Jonathan Moyo was directly involved in this propaganda news that was being churned out on ZTV.
In 2005, I got a company car a Toyota Hilux double cab with a CD car radio player. After I became Bulawayo Branch Manager in 2006, my friend Stanley Nyatala came from Chinhoyi and we drove to Beitbridge. He introduced me to Jacaranda FM and I fell in love with the station. I looked forward to going to Beitbridge so that I would listen to Jacaranda FM. On the way to Bulawayo, I would listen to Jacaranda all the way to Gwanda 👌🏿Jacaranda FM played the music I grew up listening on Radio 3. Up to this day I listen to Jacaranda on weekends and during the long drives to Beitbridge on my way home to Zimbabwe.
In 2006,I drove to Pretoria for the first time. My youngest sister took me to Menlyn Shopping Center. Near to the entrance, there was Reliable Music Warehouse. I bought so many cassettes in that store. I have no problem with buying 3 things; vehicles, books and music. Radio 3 gave us magic 🙏🏿 I thank it’s DJs such as Peter Jonhs, James Maridadi, Kudzi Marudza (Kudzi once came you our flat in 2008 to visit other Zimbabweans I shared the flat with in Pretoria) and many others. Davis Mugadza every morning would play a song by Regina Belle, “be in love again”👌🏿
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