AFRICA/DR CONGO - Radio Kaoze speaks for Kalemie. Only one of many Catholic stations in the country Radio Kaoze is named after the first Congo born priest

Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “We named the radio Kaoze, in memory of the first Congo born priest who was of our diocese. The radio is a channel of evangelisation” Rev David Luhaka, Vice president of Radio Kaoze managing committee told DIA local news agency. Radio Kaoze is the latest in the series of Catholic radios in Democratic Congo. It was established by the diocese of Kalemie-Kirungu, in the southern region of and is named after Stefano Kaoze (1885-1951), ordained in 1917.
For 50,000 people in Kalemie ,Catholics and non, , the launching of the radio is an important event. Catholics see it as a channel of evangelisation and a means of deepening their knowledge of the faith. Non Catholics hope Radio Kaoze will at last give a voice to the city. The people of Kalemie hope the radio will organise debates on local problems and speak out for the people.
The religious programmes will focus on meditation of the Word of God, philosophy, theology and there will also be programmes on development, local events, culture, healthcare and human rights. The organisers intend to form a Kaoze Club with programmes on the figure of Fr Kaoze. The president of the Radio Committee is Mgr. Isidore Katele, diocesan Vicar General.
Catholic radios have a fundamental role in Democratic Congo on both the church and civil society level. The first Catholic radio Radio Elikya in Kinshasa, started broadcasting in 1995. A number of radios belong to the Association of Community and Associative Radios ARCO (see Fides 8 March 2004) and they played an important role in creating awareness of the importance of voting in elections.
The country's first radio was a Catholic Radio-Léo established in January 1937 by a Jesuit priest three years before the first state radio in what was then in Belgian Congo. After independence the Missionary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary created in 1963 African Technical Radio Service (STAR), which later became TELESTAR with the addition of a television, channel producing cultural and educational programmes. It was then nationalised and became the nucleus of channel 2 of Congo state television. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 19/5/2007 righe 45 parole 492)