Zimbabwe, la dissidenza si confida con RFI

Un interessante approfondimento sulla vicenda delle operazioni che la polizia dello Zimbabwe sta effettuando in alcune zone della nazione africana per confiscare i ricevitori a onde corte sintonizzati sulle emittenti internazionali e antigovernative.

Per Radio France Internationale, Laura Angela Bagnetto è andata a intervistare diverse personalità dell'opposizione, inclusa la fondatrice di SW Radio Gerry Jackson.

Radio seizures target rural Zimbabweans

By Laura Angela Bagnetto

Sat, 2010-11-06 02

In Zimbabwe, reports are coming in indicating that police in Mashonaland East have been raiding homesteads and confiscating shortwave radio sets. Shortwave is the one way rural Zimbabweans get independent information, and a rise in radio seizures means elections are on the horizon, according to a Zimbabwean exile and founder of an independent radio station. "What's happening at the moment is that the ruling Zanu-PF party, though they are supposed to be maintaining a coalition government with the MDC, are maintaining an iron grip on power. They're in full election mode," says Gerry Jackson, the founder London-based SW Radio Africa [1], which is broadcast via shortwave to Zimbabwe. "They are gearing up for an election any time, which Mugabe, the president, has said he would like to see happen before June next year. So confiscating the radios is just part of their normal electioneering," she adds. SW Radio Africa is founded by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans.

Radios are distributed to villagers by non-governmental organisations so that they can have access to independent radio stations like SW Radio Africa other than state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. Okay Machisa, the executive director of ZimRights, a Harare-based human rights group with offices around the country, won't tell RFI the names of the groups distributing radios; he says he fears for their safety.

(continua)

ZImbabwe, la polizia sequestra le radio a onde corte

Malgrado l'annunciata intenzione di riformare la regolamentazione dei media, la presidenza di Mugabe in Zimbabwe non sembra avere intenzione di allentare la morsa sulle emittenti che attraverso le onde medie e corte cercano di portare nella ex Rhodesia una voce alternativa alla radiotelevisione di Stato. Radio Voice of the People denuncia l'attività della polizia che sta confiscando le radio a onde corte che vengono distribuite gratuitamente nelle aree rurali dalle organizzazioni non governative. Nel mirino, oltre alle trasmissioni di Radio VOP, ci sono anche SW Radio Africa e Studio 7, trasmessa dalla Voice of America. Quest'ultima avverte esplicitamente sul suo sito che ad Harare le trasmissioni sui 909 kHz dal Botswana sono disturbate dal jamming governativo.

Zim Police On Radio Sets Raid Spree

29/10/2010

Harare, October 29, 2010 – Police in Mashonaland East have launched a blitz confiscating Short Wave radio sets parcelled out to villagers by non-governmental organisations campaigning for the freeing of the airwaves. Information obtained by Radio VOP on Thursday indicated that the police had been raiding homesteads starting with Murehwa centre in search of the “offending” SW radio sets, in what civil society organisations view as part of a Zanu (PF) strategy to stop rural folk from accessing alternative media sources other than the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).

Due to ZBC’s partisan reporting in favour of President Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF), Non-governmental organisations have been doling out free SW radios to enable villagers to tune into foreign-based radio stations which beam into the country such as Radio VOP, SW Radio Africa and and the Washington-based Studio Seven run by the Voice of America.

An official with ZimRights told Radio VOP that police officers in the company of members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) are going around Murehwa District threatening villagers in possession of the NGO donated sets before proceeding to confiscate them. “Three men from Chitowa village fell victim to this police raid early this week and they have been able to identify the police details as Constables Sibanda and Basopo,” said the source. In a statement to Radio VOP confirming the police actions, ZimRights in Harare said police claimed the distribution of the radio sets were done “behind their backs and without their knowledge.”

“Consequently, they (police) question the motive of the organisations in giving the radios behind their back,” said ZimRights. “They argue that the radios are propaganda driving tools meant to discredit the government. The police claimed that with the radios, the people cannot access official Zimbabwe radio stations. They also cited ZIMRA (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) complaints about evasion of tax during the importation of the radios,” it added. National police spokesman, Wayne Bvudzijena said he was not aware of the incidents but promised to investigate.

ZimRights said it was demanding an immediate stop to the victimisation of rural people as well as the violation of their right to access to information and freedom of expression. “Police should practice what they are mandated to do instead of pursuing political agendas, an undesirable characteristic of state security,” said ZimRights. Despite media reforms being top of the agenda of the government of national unity, Zanu (PF) is refusing to free the airwaves.

Zimbabwe, il divo delle soap passa alla radio

Bellissima questa storia di un attore televisivo, molto popolare in Zimbabwe per la telenovela "Studio 263", che porta il suo personaggio verso una soap radiofonica su ZBC. In "Hurudza" (da quanto ho capito significa "la fattoria"), l'attore e cantante Neverney Chinyanga, istruirà i suoi connazionali coltivatori sui vantaggi della meccanizzazione dell'agricoltura.

Chinyanga goes into radio drama
By Richmore Tera PROLIFIC actor Nevernay Chinyanga popular for his role as Muwengwa in television soap Studio 263 has ventured into radio.

His makes his debut with a Radio Zimbabwe drama titled Hurudza, written and sponsored by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
The drama is part of efforts by the central bank to step up awareness and the prudent use of farming resources among farmers who have benefited under the ongoing Farm Mechanisation Programme.
As the title suggests, one of the major themes behind Hurudza is to encourage farmers to harvest productively in order to feed the nation.
The drama revolves around Muwengwa’s family who after having benefited from the land redistribution and mechanisation programmes — a plot and farming implements — find themselves having to contend with numerous challenges such as jealousy from neighbours, thefts by employees, among others. There is also a clique of good-for-nothing farmers who abuse the resources they acquired under these schemes.
For example, listeners cannot afford but laugh their lungs out with one character portraying a beneficiary who uses his tractor as public transport to ferry commuters to and from their destinations to make money instead of using it for framing purposes.
There are also workers who spend their time on drinking binges, thanks to money earned from the sale of stolen fertilizers, insecticides and other inputs.
The drama, flighted every evening, is enriched by Muwengwa’s characteristic trademark humour and Shona language rich in idioms. Ever since making his TV debut in Studio 263, Muwengwa has become a veritable jack of all trades.
Apart from Studio 263, he has also starred in another television production, Tiriparwendo, where he endeared himself with viewers. Chinyanga has also made waves on the music scene. Matinetsa, taken off his 2006 album Pashambira Mweni, is one of his best compositions to date.