Zimbabwe government confirms jamming foreign radio broadcasts

Zimbabwe government confirms jamming foreign radio broadcasts

A senior official in Zimbabwe has confirmed that President Robert Mugabe’s government is jamming foreign radio broadcasts into the country, reports said yesterday. The Zimbabwe government is jamming the signal of Voice of America’s Studio 7 programme, which broadcasts news and information into Zimbabwe most evenings, deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga was quoted as saying.

“We cannot allow foreigners to invade our airwaves without our authority,” Matonga told parliament, according to quotes carried by the official Herald newspaper. “We will continue to do it [jam their signal]. We need to protect our sovereignty. If you go to England you will not receive any foreign radio station,” he said.

It was the first official confirmation of the practice, which has been condemned by press freedom groups. Matonga was responding to a question from opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) legislator Willas Madzimure in parliament Wednesday on why the authorities were jamming Studio 7’s shortwave broadcasts, when most areas of the country cannot receive any local radio or television signal. Only around 30 per cent of areas in the southern African country can receive any signal from the four state-controlled radio stations and its sole television station.

The Zimbabwe government is believed to be using Chinese equipment to jam the signals of at least three private radio stations that broadcast into Zimbabwe. Studio 7, which is based in Washington, started to experience interference with its signal last year. Another two stations, London- based SW Radio Africa and Voice of the People [which broadcasts via the Radio Netherlands Madagascar relay station] have also had their signals jammed.

(Source: dpa)