Zimbabwe: Community radio initiatives muzzled

Gweru based Nkabazwe Community Radio Initiative was on 24 June 2010 denied police clearance to hold a road show for the third time in a space of less than two months because it is not licensed to broadcast.

 

This comes in the wake of a similar ban imposed on Wezhira Community Radio Initiative in Masvingo by the police citing security concerns.

Zerubabel Mudzingwa, Chairperson of the Nkabazwe Community Radio Initiative told MISA-Zimbabwe that they applied for police clearance on 21 June 2010 ahead of the planned road show on 26 June 2010. The application which was turned down on 24 June 2010 was made in terms of the repressive Public Order and Security Act (POSA). 

Mudzingwa said the police denied them clearance on the basis that Nkabazwe might end up recording and broadcasting without license if afforded the opportunity to proceed with the road show.  

Wezhira Community Radio in Masvingo was also denied police clearance to hold ward meetings with their community structures on 16 June 2010. The police feared Wezhira might be engaging in political activities which raised security concerns.

Micah Zinduru, chairperson of the community radio initiative said the police told them they could not conduct their activities as they were not licensed.

 

MISA-Zimbabwe position

These community radio initiatives were established more than five years ago and have been conducting their activities publicly and openly as part of efforts to raise awareness on the concept of community radios. The activities are not political in anyway serve for mobilising communities to push for the licensing of community radios.

MISA-Zimbabwe condemns the police actions as unwarranted given that these road shows and community meetings have in the past been conducted openly without breaching peace and security in their respective communities.  Equally disturbing is the fact that the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) is still to call for applications for community radios since the enactment of the BSA in 2001.

Zimbabwe remains among the very few countries that do not have community radio stations and privately owned commercial radio and television stations as stipulated in terms of the African Charter on Broadcasting (ACB). The ACB encourages member states to take necessary steps and measures towards establishing a three-tier broadcasting system i.e. public broadcasting, commercial broadcasting and community broadcasting.

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Reagan Malumo

Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat

21 Johann Albrecht St

Private Bag 13386

Windhoek

Namibia

Phone: +264 61 232 975

Fax: +264 61 248 016

Mobile: +264 81 311 2626

Official Email: reagan@misa.org

Private Email: reagan32002@yahoo.com

 

- June 28, 2010 by MISA

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Source : www.misa.org (received via email 28.06.10)