Court throws out case against Voice of the People radio

By Lance Guma
25 September 2006

Government’s dismal legal record against the media continued this week after a Harare court threw out charges against Voice of the People radio who were accused of broadcasting without a licence. Magistrate William Bhila branded the trial a ‘circus’ and refused a prosecution request for the case to be adjourned. "This matter has already been postponed three times. There is no reason to keep the accused on remand. Remand is refused," he said. 10 VOP employees appeared in court for breaking the country’s broadcasting laws but as is now custom the state failed to prove its case and instead sought to keep the accused on remand.

Beatrice Mtetwa who represented the radio station hailed the decision saying, ‘This is clearly a case where the state abuses the prosecution process for political reasons…there was no basis in the first place to bring them to court and all these things they say the want to establish, the police should have established first even before the arrests" she said. Journalists and directors of the station were arrested in December last year and January this year. They were accused of possessing and operating broadcasting equipment without a licence. The state on Monday tried to switch from charging the employees and turn instead to prosecuting the radio station but this failed.

VOP has produced programming in Zimbabwe which is then broadcast via a Radio Netherlands transmitter in Madagascar. Its offices in Milton Park were bombed in August of 2002 as government intensified its crackdown on the media. Station manager John Masuku told Newsreel they hope the decision means they can continue their operations in the country without hindrance.