Radio Africa stirs airwaves

FIRSTLY, an apology. Despite messages of approval from a number of readers (See Feedback opposite) there were several glitches in last week's Internet edition of the paper. On Friday morning some of our regular columns of the paper were not updated as they should have been. These included the Independent Comment, Opinion & Analysis and Eric Bloch columns. The programmers at our new Website tell me it was a systems failure that was corrected on Friday evening.

Without being asked to do so they then ran a spellcheck through the Independent Comment which in one paragraph automatically changed Zimbabwean names to English-sounding ones. So we had Lupine instead of Lupane and Zane instead of Zanu, among other literary distortions. Needless to say I expressed my views on this insertion of errors into our text with some force. Cynics will say this was all part of my campaign to promote English! Let's hope this week it is reasonably error-free. Thanks to all of you who pointed out the mistakes, some of which were only finally ironed out on Tuesday.

There has been the usual official vitriol of late over transmissions by SW Radio Africa which is a licensed broadcaster based in London. The Department of Information has attempt- ed to represent the station as a British-sponsored propaganda tool when in fact it is a voice of calm and accuracy which provides a welcome antidote to the vicious lies propagated by ZBC.

The new station has very quickly built up a large audience in Zimbabwe where people crave accurate news.

SABC Africa produced a nice little feature on the station last weekend. It interviewed the station's founder Gerry Jackson who pointed out that despite a court order allowing them to broadcast in Zimbabwe, they had been thwarted by the government. At least they can now transmit in relative freedom without being invaded by armed police.

The Johannesburg Sunday Times also produced a full-page feature by Justice Malala on SW Radio Africa headed "A voice of independence - A group of Zimbabwean journalists have rattled their government by broadcasting from London"
Malala quoted Jonathan Moyo's remarks about its transmissions having "all the trappings of genocide broadcasts in Rwanda", but then pointed out that Zanu PF heavyweights like Eddison Zvobgo and Patrick Chinamasa had agreed to be interviewed.

Malala set the scene: "After a lengthy and robust interview with Zvobgo, presenters Violet Gondo and Tererai Karimakwenda move on to an interview with former Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu and then to an assessment of the Zimbabwean economy. The interviews are long and in depth, the questions uncompromising."

Zimbabweans have been visiting the station's live webcasts in droves. So far 170 000 hits have been registered.

"The emergence of a station like SW Radio Africa," said Malala, "reflects the spirit of Zimbabweans in London and elsewhere, that their courage will not flag and that they will continue to fight for the small things in life - like the right to choose what station they listen to."

That spirit, he said, was reflected by a comment written next to Moyo's name on a list of Zimbabwean cabinet ministers on the wall at the SW offices. "Ha!" it says.

"And every day, when they start broadcasting, that is exactly what the station seems to say to the architect of Zimbabwe's draconian media laws and other government ministers."

Malala's tribute is shared by all those who care about professional broadcasting. SW Radio Africa should be broadcasting here. Its right to do so was upheld by the Supreme Court. Instead, ministers running scared of pluralism blocked it by abuse of the Presidential Powers Act. The subsequent Broadcasting Services Act which effectively overturned the court ruling is a measure aimed at stifling media diversity.

Zimbabweans have been deprived of the right to choose what station they listen to. They have been deprived of the right to hear a diversity of views. They have been prevented by President Mugabe's minions from exercising the freedoms accorded to them by the constitution.

The government has drawn some comfort from the recent Sadc communiqué which called on Western governments to "desist" from authorising broadcasts from their territories which incite "propaganda against the government of the Republic of Zimbabwe".

What about the propaganda and incitement Zimbabweans have to put up with every day from their government broadcaster? I couldn't help but feel Sadc leaders fear they could be next. But so long as they adhere to good governance they have nothing to fear - a message we sent to the ministerial team that visited Harare last month. A diversity of voices is fundamental to democracy and a number of countries in Africa have no problem with that.

Commenting on the Sadc communiqué, Moyo denounced what he called "gratuitous personal insults" aimed at Zimbabwe's leadership by South African media commentators. But in the same breath he called them "Uncle Toms" and "House Niggers".

That sounds pretty much like "personal insults" to me. The minister's remarks betray the fiction about the "apartheid press" the Department of Information has been assiduously cultivating. It is difficult now to find a black columnist in South Africa who is prepared to say anything good about Mugabe or his regime. The editorial piece on Sadc by the Sunday Times' Mondli Makhanya last weekend shows just how disillusioned many senior South African journalists have become.

Tracing their dismal performance since the Victoria Falls mini-summit of April 2000, Makhanya said: "It is clear that most southern African leaders have absolutely no interest in entrenching democracy in their countries and the region." And he provided a good remedy.

Rather than rely on Sadc to provide leadership the region's people should build cross-border civil society coalitions to push for the democratisation of Southern Africa and entrenchment of a culture of good governance, he said.

"That is the clamour Mugabe and other despots will listen to, not the polite coaxing of their peers."

I know Mondli. And he is no Uncle Tom. Moyo should avoid making enemies of every single journalist in South Africa. He has enough enemies at home to cope with!

Feedback

Great new site

Dear Editor,

YOU guys have made our lives easier through your new Website. Congratulations guys. We never miss an issue of your paper and we like the way you guys report. I am one of those sons of Zimbabwe who had to leave the country for obvious reasons. I really feel bad for leaving my country but I will come back when I obtain my degree because I owe my country a lot and I want to pay back what I owe.

I know God is on our side and He will not let us down because we have put up a brave fight against Satan. I hope the United States
government and Europe will freeze the assets of these infidels and deport their children and relatives.

Chitown Kid,
tichawanda@hotmail.com

Advice on new Website

Dear Editor,

I VISITED your new Website and found it much enlivened. Speed to download is far improved but I also note some advice to you on how it could be speeded further.

You will have to get rid of the text overlapping at the top of the Feedback column since this is just poor web page building or a computer "glitch" that needs ironing out. I'm still disappointed that in building a new web page you haven't as yet taken up my idea of a small spot for both official and parallel exchange rates for both US dollars and pounds sterling.

On a more sanguine note I must say I admire your tenacity and bravery in the face of serious danger. You are a "shining light" in the darkness that has descended upon Zimbabwe. Keep burning the torch of freedom and democracy.

I have to say I am very disappointed in the low coverage of events occurring in Zimbabwe in the UK press. It is only in the last few days that a number of excellent articles have begun to appear.

The UK needs film footage of what is really happening and then that will snowball into proper UK press coverage (in all forms of media). I suspect the same argument will apply to all of the US and European press and media too. Let's get some good footage out and on to BBC or other UK channels.
Martin,
UK.

Website is impressive

Dear Editor,

I HAVE faithfully read your Website each Friday to stay informed about events in Zimbabwe. I am impressed with your new Website and wish you continued success in bringing the real news of Zimbabwe to the world.

My family and I lived in Zimbabwe for a year in 1994-95 and have been back twice since then, most recently in May of 2001. It saddens me to see the decline, which has taken place. I also worry for the safety and wellbeing of many friends who remain in your country.

I am praying daily for change that will enable the people of Zimbabwe to live in peace and prosperity.

Ralph Goodwin,
RSGoodwin4@aol.com

Feel free to contact Zesa

Dear Editor,

WE refer to a letter, which appeared in your newspaper on November 23, 2001 titled "Parastatals milking us".

When our meter readers fail to gain access to the premises they leave self-reading cards, which should be filled and sent to our billing section within two days.

The self-reading card should reach us within two days since the bill is produced within three days after the reading date.

If the self-reading card is not received within the stipulated time, we will send an estimated bill for that month which is an average consumption.
We urge our customers to phone our billing section in order to be furnished with the reading dates in their respective areas.

Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.

S P Pieron,
Zesa Harare area manager.

Don't trash indigenous languages

Dear Editor,

YOUR diatribe against the government's recognition of the two main indigenous languages, Shona and Ndebele (Independent, January 11) has prompted me to write to you.

Sir, I stand to be corrected, but I applaud the government for "officialising" the two indigenous languages. The government did not discard English, your so-called world language, but it merely up-graded Shona and Ndebele to the same level with English nationally. What's wrong with that? After all, are we not in the majority?

Do I see a white English supremacist in you? I do not think you realise and appreciate that the majority of your readership are the blacks whose languages you look down upon.

Sir, may I bring out your fears more clearly. You can't stand to see others vachitaura or vachikhuluma. You want them to "speak" only.
Since this letter attacks your perceived racial white superiority, I doubt its publication in your January 25 issue. But I am sure you are going to read it.
Epimarco Kudakwashe Potera,
Gweru.
· I said in my memo of January 11: "There is nothing inconsistent about equipping our youth with the advantages of English while at the same time preserving indigenous languages." - Editor.

Slight problem with new site

Dear Editor,

I AM using Unix (Netcaspe) and have the following problems with the new site:
· The font size is a little too small to read.
· Do you have to use a blue font for the story text? Can't you use black for the main story content?
Otherwise it looks like a great site and thanks for keeping us informed.
God Bless Zimbabwe!

Maxwell Dondo,
mdondo@nortelnetworks.com