MISA-Zimbabwe Communiqué

2 July 2009

Free the Airwaves concerts continue countrywide

On 27 and 28 June 2009 MISA-Zimbabwe in collaboration with Artists for Democracy Trust Zimbabwe (ADTZ) took the Free the Air Wave Concerts to Gwanda in Matabeleland South and Bulawayo city respectively.

On 28 June 2009, MISA-Zimbabwe National Chairperson, Loughty Dube addressed an estimated 1 000 people at Mpopoma Park in Bulawayo where he lamented the continued existence of a restricted broadcasting environment.

“The monopoly enjoyed by ZBC (Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation), is calculated to silence diverse views. If the current government is committed to the ideals of democracy, then the people of Mpopoma should have a community radio to discuss issues affecting them on a daily basis,” said Dube.

“There should be no impediments specifically from the state that should deter the people of Mpopoma from establishing their own community radio station hence our insistence as MISA-Zimbabwe that ZBC should transform from a state broadcaster to a genuine public broadcaster that carries diverse views and opinion.”

Speaking in Gwanda, at Phakama Shopping Centre, Tabani Moyo MISA-Zimbabwe Advocacy Officer, called upon the inclusive government to heed the cries of the people of Zimbabwe clamoring for the freeing of the airwaves. Moyo said the government should provide the requisite infrastructure to allow for the emergence of a three-tier broadcasting environment comprising public broadcasting, commercial and community broadcasting. He urged the state media to desist from disseminating hate language in the spirit of national reconciliation as envisaged under the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

The two concerts were a fusion of music, dance, poetry and drama dished by an array of artists comprising Transit Crew, Mambokadzi, Explosion, Madiz, Matrix, Jahunda Arts, Home Grown Arts and Msheznana.

The concerts are part of the MISA-Zimbabwe’s country wide free the airwaves campaigns. The next concert will be staged in Chinhoyi, on 4 July 2009.

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For more information please contact:

The Advocacy Officer

Tabani Moyo

MISA-Zimbabwe