BC-DX TopNews WWDXC #945 BC-DX 945

It has also made SWRA a thorn in the side for members of the political
elite who feel most threatened by a critical and enquiring press that
seeks to expose corruption and human rights abuses.
SWRA have been jammed before, but their article on their website about
this instance conveys shock at the fact that, this time, the jamming is
happening under the inclusive government which includes former opposition
parties that have supposedly fought for democratic principles. In fact,
just last week, the MDC-T party launched a new party card, describing it
as the 'master card for real change'. What's worse, this is the second act
of censorship occuring under the unity government this week.
Robert Mugabe's regime has resumed jamming news broadcasts from SW Radio
Africa, despite the existence of the coalition government with the MDC,
that is supposed to guarantee freedom of expression. On Wednesday evening
the first half hour of our broadcast featuring Newsreel was drowned out by
a heavy noise, sounding like a slow playing record.
SW Radio Africa listeners told us that soon after the news ended the
jamming noise stopped and the rest of the broadcast featuring current
affairs programming could be heard clearly.
Information Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa [MDC-T] told
Newsreel he was not aware of the jamming. He said; 'We will have to start
gathering our facts on the matter before coming up with our position.'
Deputy Information Minister Murisi Zwizwai's phone went unanswered the
whole day. But a source told us the Central Intelligence Organisation,
which falls under the President's Office, is running the operation.
It is sad that despite the fact Zimbabwe does have an inclusive
government, where two of the parties supposedly whole heartedly support
the notion of a free press and Zimbabweans right to information, that SWRA
are once again being jammed.
In 2005 Mugabe's regime began jamming SW Radio Africa frequencies just
before the controversial Operation Murambatsvina. It was reported that the
jamming equipment and expertise was provided by China and at the time we
spoke to a soldier who says he was sent to China to be trained in jamming
techniques. The jamming was then extended to include signals from Voice of
America's Studio 7, in clear violation of international laws.
In March 2007 then Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga admitted
they were jamming our broadcasts. Speaking in parliament Matonga boasted
that the government was generating electronic interference to prevent
reception of the broadcasts. "We cannot allow foreigners to invade our
airwaves without our authority. We will continue to do it. We need to
protect our sovereignty. If you go to England you will not receive any
foreign radio station."
SW Radio Africa is run by exiled Zimbabweans who, because of repressive
media legislation, were not allowed to broadcast from home. In 2000 the
station, then called Capital Radio, challenged government's broadcasting
monopoly and won its case in the Supreme Court. But after just 6 days of
broadcasting from a local hotel the station was shut down by Mugabe using
his presidential powers.
While the initial jamming in 2005 was done when Zimbabwe was under the
file:///Z|/DOKUMENTATION-BULLETINS/WWDXD-BCDX/2010/BCDX979.TXT[11.06.2012 10:40:18]