VOP Executive Director to appear in court Wednesday

By Lance Guma
20 December 2005

The Executive Director of VOP radio, John Masuku who was arrested Monday after handing himself over to police, is set to appear in court Wednesday in the morning. He is facing charges under Section 27 of the Broadcasting Services Act, which prohibits possession, establishment or operation of signal-transmitting equipment without a licence.

According to Arnold Tsunga of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, his lawyer will make an application for Masuku not to be placed on remand. He will argue there is no reasonable suspicion he committed the offence since the radio station does not own, operate, or possess signalling equipment. The station although based in the country broadcasts via a Radio Netherlands transmitter located in Madagascar. VOP Radio compiles stories in Zimbabwe and e-mails them to the signal carrier for broadcast back into the country.

Radio Netherlands in this respect does not fall under the jurisdiction of Zimbabwean laws such as the Broadcasting Services Act. Tsunga says only when the first application fails will they put in a bail application, to allow Masuku to go on trial from the comfort of his home. He dismissed several press reports stating that police were still looking for senior editor Shorai Kariwa. He was only an employee of the station just like the other three female journalists who were released Monday on the orders of the Attorney General. This, after a 5-day detention, in which police demanded the directors of the station hand themselves in.

Delegates at a recent Zanu PF congress expressed concern at what they perceive to be the country’s negative portrayal by the media. Observers view the current crackdown on the media as an attempt to gag independent voices and hopefully improve their image. Tsunga says the plan however will fail because their actions are actually highlighting the poor human rights record the media is exposing.