[cr-india] ZIMBABWE: Bombing of radio office condemned

[George(s) Lessard]

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From:           	IRIN <IRIN at irinnews.org>
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Date sent:      	Thu, 29 Aug 2002 16:54:00 GMT
Subject:        	ZIMBABWE: Bombing of radio office condemned

U N I T E D  N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)

ZIMBABWE: Bombing of radio office condemned

JOHANNESBURG, 29 August (IRIN) - The Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of 
Southern Africa (MISA) has condemned the bombing on Thursday of the offices of 
an independent radio initiative.  

The Voice of the People (VOP) Communications Trust is aimed at a rural 
audience. Their programmes are produced in Zimbabwe and transmitted to Radio 
Netherlands for broadcast on short wave back into the country.  

MISA-Zimbabwe said the bombing occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning. 
 

"The bomb, which has destroyed all the equipment, virtually incapacitates the 
operations of the aspiring radio station. Although the police have begun 
investigations which we believe might lead to the arrest of the culprits, past 
examples of investigations of attacks on media establishments are not 
encouraging at all. This is so with particular reference to the bombing of The 
Daily News offices and printing press in 2000, 2001 and 2002.  

"The latest bombing of VOP is the fourth such direct bombing of a media 
organisation, taking place in less than three years. This excludes incidences 
of physical attacks, arrests and intimidation. These developments are 
unprecedented in the history of Zimbabwe," MISA-Zimbabwe said in a statement.  

VOP broadcasts two-and-a-half hours each day in English and in Zimbabwe's two 
main vernacular languages, Shona and Ndebele. The aspiring community radio 
station has not been given a broadcast licence.  

MISA's regional office said VOP did not enjoy a good relationship with the 
authorities, who were apparently concerned that VOP was "tarnishing the image" 
of the country.  

Last month the police, accompanied by officers from the Broadcasting Authority 
of Zimbabwe, and armed with a search warrant, raided VOP in search of a 
transmitter and other broadcasting equipment. After failing to find the 
transmitter, the police confiscated 133 tapes and files, which were later 
returned.  

[ENDS]  

IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA at irin.org.za

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