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Police raid Community radio, arrests officers
Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe)
March 27, 2004

On 25 and 26 March, Police in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo, raided offices of Radio Dialogue, a community radio station that is based in the city and arrested two officers at the station. Radio Dialogue is a community radio initiative which is yet to be licensed by the government.

Sharon Sithole the human resources officer at the station told MISA-Zimbabwe that five police officers came to the station in the morning and asked for Father Nigel Johnson, the station manager. Father Johnson is away in South Africa on business. On being told that he was away, the officers then produced their search warrant. Sithole says the warrant stated that police had reason to believe that Father Johnson was in possession of subversive material. The warrant was to search the Radio Dialogue offices and Father Johnson’s house in Hillside.

The officers searched all eight offices and two studios. From the offices, the officers took away some documents.

The officers also recorded the details of all the station’s 17 employees.

Sithole says the officers also asked her about the link between Radio Dialogue and Bulawayo Agenda. Bulawayo Agenda is a local initiative that organises public meetings for Bulawayo residents to discuss topical issues of concern in the city.

In the afternoon, the officers went to Bulawayo Agenda offices where they took away some documents and the secretary/bookkeeper for questioning.

In the evening, the officers called Sithole on her mobile phone and told her they wanted her for questioning. They went to pick her up from her home in Barham Green. Sithole was taken to Central Police Station where she was questioned for nearly two hours before being released.

On 26 March, the officers were back at the station and arrested Radio Dialogue marketing officer, Koliwe Nyoni. Nyoni spent the morning and part of the afternoon at Central Police station. Nyoni was asked about a Public Order and Security Act public awareness advert that was placed in newspapers by MISA-Zimbabwe in 2003. A newspapers cutting of the advert was among the documents seized on 25 March. Nyoni was also questioned on the activities of MISA-Zimbabwe and Bulawayo Agenda.

On 26 March Bulawayo Agenda coordinator, Gordon Moyo also spent the day at the station. After questioning him, the officers proceeded to go and search his house.

In January this year, police arrested Father Johnson while he was shooting footage for a musical video in Nkulumane suburb.

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