Community Radio Frustrated By State Monopoly of Airwaves

SW Radio Africa (London)

Alex Bell

13 April 2011

A community radio station in Harare, which is taking its fight to be licensed to court, says it is frustrated by the State’s ongoing control of the airwaves.

Community Radio Harare filed a High Court application last week, in an effort to have its broadcasting licence application considered by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). The radio station which was formed in 2003 by residents in the capital, wrote to the government authority in September last year to apply for a broadcasting licence.

But the application was declined earlier this year, on the grounds that the broadcasting authority had not actually called for licence applications.

The radio station’s spokesperson, Gift Mambipiri, told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that they feel “betrayed and let down, because the government promised to free the airwaves, and legislation was enacted for this exact purpose.” Mambipiri said the government is “simply trying to deny people the opportunity to speak.”

Mambipiri said they felt particularly let down by the MDC within the unity government, who swore to advance media reform in Zimbabwe. The Global Political Agreement (GPA), which formed the basis for the unity government, stated clearly that media licences would be issued. But to date, there have been no calls for broadcasting licences for community or other independent radio groups, and only some newspapers have been given licences to print.

“We see there are newspapers coming out and licences to print are being handed out. But most of our citizens can’t even afford to buy a newspaper,” Mambipiri said.

He added: “The state also has all control of the airwaves, so there is an urgent need to have independent and community radio stations to supplement what is being aired by the State.”

The radio station is arguing in its court paper that it has not been possible to apply for a licence since the broadcasting authority has not called for licence applications since 2004. The station argues that the authority’s failure to call and issue licences “…is on its own an illegality and must be justified.”

Community Radio adds that the broadcasting authority has a duty to enable eligible applicants to apply for and obtain radio licences and that as an aspiring broadcaster, they have a legitimate expectation to be provided a fair and reasonable opportunity to apply and be granted a licence.

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