Zimbabwe admits jamming private radio broadcasts
By Violet Gonda
1 March 2007

The Zimbabwean government has admitted for the first time that it is jamming radio frequencies by private broadcasters. Bright Matonga, the Deputy Information Minister, made the disclosure in parliament on Wednesday. He was responding to a question from Tsvangirai-MDC MP for Kambuzuma Willas Madzimure on why the government was jamming foreign-based radio stations. Matonga said authorities were generating electronic interference to prevent reception of the broadcasts.
SW Radio Africa, Studio 7 and Voice of the People were forced to broadcast from outside the country because independent radio is not allowed by the Mugabe regime. There is only one broadcaster in Zimbabwe and that is the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation, which is 100% controlled by the state.
There was also pandemonium in parliament when Mutambara-MDC MP for Harare North Trudy Stevenson was ejected from the House after heckling the Deputy Minister. She had attempted to defend the freedom of the airwaves in Zimbabwe.
Matonga told parliament he was glad that the opposition had noted that government had the power to jam “the broadcasts of propaganda” and also pleased that people who received those broadcasts were no longer able to do so. He boasted: "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."

The statement was challenged by Stevenson who told him that on the contrary the UK received broadcasts from thousands of foreign stations. At this point more opposition MPs joined in, which resulted in the acting Speaker of Parliament, Kumbirai Kangai, singling out the Harare North MP and throwing her out of the chamber.
The Mugabe regime has over the years closed down the democratic space by clamping down on the opposition, civil society and the media. Just before parliamentary elections in March 2005 SW Radio Africa was jammed for the first time. Information we received indicated that the jamming equipment and expertise was Chinese. This meant many people, especially in the urban areas, were unable to tune in. A year later the government extended the jamming to include the signals of Voice of America’s Studio 7, in clear violation of international laws.
MP Madzimure said that the actions by the government confirm it does not want people to be informed about what is happening. He added: “But my biggest concern is that yes you can try to jam other radios even though it is unlawful, but what are you doing to make sure that Zimbabweans get even Radio Zimbabwe? They are doing nothing. Wasting money to buy equipment to jam other stations but they are doing nothing to improve the situation.”

We were not able to get a comment from Deputy Minister Matonga.