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The War on the Media in Zimbabwe
Last night I listened to SW Radio at 18.30 hrs. For those who are not
familiar with SW Radio this is a small radio station broadcasting out
of
London on short and medium wave to Zimbabwe. For many of us the slot
from
18.30 to 19.30 hrs has been a lifeline of news about what is happening
in
Zimbabwe. This is the time when they flight their nightly "Newsreel"
programme.
At first I thought there was no signal, but then I was able to pick it
up -
a faint signal right next to what sounded like a muffled roar. We were
able
to hear the first 20 minutes or so and then it simply became impossible
to
make out the voices over what was a continuous stream of noise.
SW is being jammed - very professionally - by transmitters located at
the
Gweru transmitters of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. I
understand
the equipment comes from Iran and has just been installed.
This just another example of the war on the media being waged by the
Zanu PF
led regime in Zimbabwe.
Yesterday the Supreme Court finally handed down its judgment a year
after
they had sat to consider the banning of the Daily News. The Daily News
was
established 4 years ago in an effort to open up the newspaper industry
and
allow greater freedom of expression. It rapidly attracted some of the
brightest minds in the industry and was soon outselling its State
controlled
rivals across the country.
They faced threats of many kinds - vendors were beaten up and the
copies of
the paper burned. The presses printing the paper were blown up with
military
explosives on two occasions and the staffs were threatened. An
assassination
attempt was made on the editor.
Then finally the regime decided that these piecemeal approaches were
not
sufficient and the Minister of Justice brought out a new draft Bill -
the
innocuously sounding "Access to Information and Protection of Privacy
Act."
In fact this was simply an Act of Parliament designed to close down any
media - electronic or written, which was in any way a threat to the
Regime.
The Daily News was at the top of that list, as was the local initiators
of
SW Radio.
SW went on to establish itself outside the country - the Daily News did
not
have that option. They were soon closed down and have been fighting the
new
legal restrictions ever since. This fight has cost its sponsors many
hundreds of millions of dollars in legal and other costs. Because of
their
determination the Daily News remains ready to go within 48 hours of
being
allowed back on the streets.
So when we heard that the SADC States were going to see to it that the
elections on the 31st were going to be free and fair - we assumed this
meant
that the regime here would allow the Daily back on the streets. When it
was
leaked that the Supreme Court was going to rule in favor of the Daily
this
reinforced our feelings. But it was not to be - yesterday the Courts
ruled
that the original banning order was not right and that the Daily News
should
have been licensed. Then they sent the decision back to the same body
that
originally banned the Daily News and has just banned another weekly.
The war on the media does not end there - any employee of the State
controlled media - 7 newspapers and 4 radio stations and the sole
national
TV station, who shows any signs of independence or professionalism is
immediately fired or worse. These people live in constant fear for
their
jobs and careers. The weekly Financial Gazette - long a critic of the
State
was quietly taken over by financial interests close to the ruling
Party.
The only other independent weeklies that remained operating are the
Standard
on Sunday and the Independent on Fridays. These are expensive and have
a
limited circulation and have been very careful not to step outside the
invisible boundaries that mark regime media restrictions.
The regime has threatened Botswana for its perceived support for the
independent radio broadcasts that are coming into Zimbabwe. The main
ones
being SW Radio - now broadcasting on medium wave via a regional
facility and
the Voice of America Studio 7 broadcasts each evening for one hour in
three
languages.
The propaganda machine is massive and constant. All media references to
the
activities of the MDC are negative and hostile. The position of the
ruling
party is constantly portrayed and all news and current affairs
programming
is treated as a political campaign tool. Any positive coverage of the
MDC -
such as the MDC campaign launch, which was covered at the start of this
campaign - has an electrifying effect on the country!
Even in the commercial printing industry there has been a campaign to
limit
MDC activity. The company Daily Print, in Bulawayo was firebombed when
it
was discovered that they were printing for the MDC. Since then all
commercial printers report visits by the CIO and threats that there
will be
retaliation if they accept work from the MDC.
I do not know how you would interpret this situation? Thabo Mbeki says
that
this is not an impediment to a free and fair election. I find that an
astonishing claim. How does he expect the MDC to address the issues and
campaign if they are virtually totally excluded from the media, except
in a
negative way?
The election on the 31st simply cannot be regarded as being free and
fair.
It will be a carefully orchestrated display of election fraud and
manipulation by a regime that came to power on the back of a global
campaign
to win one man one vote for Zimbabwe. South Africa and her regional
associates will be associated with this exercise and will be to blame
if
Zimbabwe continues its slide into anarchy and human misery.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 16th March 2005
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