Zimbabwean government wants radio broadcasts stopped

IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - ZIMBABWE

15 January 2002

Zimbabwean government wants radio broadcasts stopped

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

(MISA/IFEX) - Zimbabwe's Minister of State for Information and Publicity
Jonathan Moyo wants the European Union (EU) to urge the British and
Netherlands governments to stop sponsoring short wave radio stations that
broadcast in Zimbabwe.

On Friday 11 January 2002, Moyo was talking to "The Sunday Mail" about the
current deliberations between the EU and Zimbabwe taking place in Brussels,
Belgium. He said that Britain and the Netherlands are sponsoring illegal
short wave radio station broadcasts in Zimbabwe. "The British are funding
their citizen, Jerry Jackson, who in September 2000 ran a pirate radio
station calling itself Capital Radio, working with [Movement for Democratic
Change, MDC] legislator and Rhodesian war veteran David Coltart, Mike Auret
Jnr. and other Rhodesians," said Moyo. "Who else is having access to the EU
sponsored illegal broadcasts besides the treacherous MDC?" asked Moyo.

In the course of the deliberations, the EU asked the Zimbabwean government
to send a letter to the EU Presidency within a week, detailing its actions
on all points covered in the discussion. The EU Heads of Mission in Harare
was invited to report urgently on the progress made in view of an
assessment
by the General Affairs Council on 28 January.

The "Voice of the People" and "SW" are the two radio stations to which Moyo
was referring in his attack. Both are operating short-wave stations
broadcasting news on the situation in Zimbabwe. Moyo accuses the two of
being pro-opposition. Jackson is the former director of Capital Radio; the
first station to challenge the monopoly of the state-owned and run Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) at the Supreme Court. ZBC's monopoly was
subsequently overthrown, deemed unconstitutional.

For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975,
fax: +264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected],
Internet: http://www.misa.org/

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MISA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.
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