Zimbabwe's SW Radio Africa in Crisis
By Nick Grace
May 30, 2005
SW Radio Africa is in crisis, station founder Gerry Jackson tells Clandestine Radio Watch in this week's edition of Global Crisis Watch. The lack of international funding is leading to the closure of the station's short wave frequencies on Tuesday, May 31.
SW Radio Africa's situation, she said, "is very dire at the moment. Our last short wave broadcast will be Tuesday... Thereafter, we can continue for one month on medium wave. But short wave is gone."
Since 1980 Zimbabwe has been under the iron grip of President Robert Mugabe, cited recently by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as one of the world's "outposts of tyranny." The deficit of freedom in the country is among the world's worst and has put Zimbabwe at the top of lists of human rights violators.
Leading up to elections earlier this year Mugabe received assistance from China, according to reports, to jam SW Radio Africa's broadcasts. The jamming, which forced the station to transmit on additional frequencies, continues. Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, has also provided the regime with broadcasting assistance.
The loss of SW Radio Africa plays into the regime's game, she said, and is exactly what Mugabe wants.
"It gives Mugabe a completely open playing field," she said. "We need more pressure, not less, and as it is he is like a chess master. He plays with the West... He wants absolute credibility and regional support. He's just going to have an open season to get his message across... While everyone is talking about 'saving Africa,' I just see the entire southern Africa region going down the tubes."
The full interview can be heard at:
http://www.clandestineradio.com/gcw/gcw_050530.mp3
Global Crisis Watch, Clandestine Radio Watch and ClandestineRadio.com's weekly current affairs podcast, brings listeners to the front line on the War of Ideas and interviews people who are fighting tyranny and terrorism with the pulse of freedom.
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