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Voice of the People wins prestigious award
Forward Maisokwadzo, Zimbabwejournalists.com
June 09, 2006

http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=511&cat=1

LONDON – INDEPENDENT radio station, Voice of the People (VOP), which has been hounded by the government over the years under the country’s oppressive media laws, surviving bomb attacks, experiencing police raids and arrests, frequency jams and related issues, has won an international media award formerly held by global giant BBC World Service.

Receiving the award at a glittering event in London yesterday organised by One World Broadcasting Trust and hosted by Channel 4 news anchor John Snow, VOP Executive Director John Masuku said: "We feel greatly honoured to receive this award and we hope in the not distant future we will have free air waves in Zimbabwe for us and others to broadcast for the public good."

Snow said One World Broadcasting Trustees were not hesitant to select VOP from the 6 shortlisted entries in the special award category which 'recognise an overseas community media project that has made an outstanding and unique contribution of sustainable development or human right.' The shortlisted were Star Radio of Liberia, Vidoes Nas Aldeias- Videos In The Village (VNA), Brazil, Kantor Berita Radio (KBR) 68h, Indonesia, Youth Voice Radio Network 9Sadaye Jawan), Afghanistan, Parwana (Butterfly) and VOP the winner.

VOP, whose senior managers and trustees face an impending court case, operates as a communications trust. It was established in June 2000 to give ordinary Zimbabweans a voice on issues that affect them on a daily basis and is run by Zimbabwean-based trustees who include journalists and lawyers. Its day-to-day affairs are managed by Executive Director John Masuku, a BBC-trained veteran broadcaster who received the award last night at a glittering event hosted by One World in London. Channel 4 News reader John Snow presented the event.

Despite repressive media laws which have seen foreign correspondents deported, VOP, the recipient of the One World Special Award, broadcasts a daily programme into Zimbabwe from outside, providing a lifeline for up to half a million listeners hungry for a free media.

Radio VOP’s current board of trustees is comprised of newspaper Editor/writer David Masunda as Chair; human rights lawyer Arnold Tsunga as the vice chair, journalist Isabella Matambanadzo as secretary, media researcher Nhlanhla Ngwenya as treasurer and other members, lawyer Lawrence Chibwe as well as journalists Millie Phiri, Matthew Takaona and Maria Mataruse, who accompanied Masuku to London to pick up the award.

Each day, the independently funded Radio VOP broadcasts a one-hour programme of news, views and information in the country’s three national languages - Shona, Ndebele and English. In the six years since its launch, it has exposed human rights abuses, including the violent land seizures since 2000 and Operation Murambatsvina (Operation Restore Order) which cost some 700,000 Zimbabweans their homes and livelihoods and otherwise affected nearly a fifth of the troubled country's population.

Masuku leads a team of six full-time journalists and 15 freelance correspondents based throughout the country. The trust promotes the right to free information so that citizens can make informed choices. VOP’s position became almost untenable when the Broadcasting Services Act was introduced in 2001 effectively quashing all independent media by withholding broadcasting licences from private media through the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe. More recently VOP has applied for a commercial radio licence but like many other independent TV and radio operators, they were turned down.

"In its lifetime the station has been criticised, threatened and jammed but what drives us on is the belief in giving a voice to the voiceless – giving the people of Zimbabwe an opportunity to speak freely about issues that affect their lives and country" said Radio VOP director, John Masuku.

Last December VOP was charged for running a radio station without a licence from the BAZ. The VOP denied the charge since its programmes are broadcast on Radio Netherlands’ airwaves via relay transmitters in Madagascar. John Masuku and colleagues from VOP are unable to discuss the merits of the case since it is still pending before the courts.

As well as news and debate, the station is also committed to working closely with NGOs and other bodies to promote health, education and human rights, especially around HIV/AIDS. This includes features on home-based care for those living with the HIV/AIDS virus as well as the administration of anti-retroviral drugs.

VOP has run programmes on promoting basic human rights with the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and has covered many other issues including the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA’s) quest for a new Constitution in the country. During Parliamentary and local elections the station works with organisations like Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network and Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust to encourage participation. VOP also frequently runs on-air competitions for Short Wave radios.

The programmes are broadcast to Zimbabwe by Radio Netherlands’ relay transmitters in Madagascar. As a production house VOP sends its programmes files by e-mail, internet and courier. It receives funding from a range of organisations including the Soros Foundation’s Open Society Initiative, Heinrich Boell Foundation and Hivos, among others.

The 11 award categories cover television, radio, new media and print journalism.

The One World Media Awards recognise the achievements of media professionals in furthering the understanding of international affairs. In particular, the awards honour those who have highlighted issues of global justice, social and economic development and human rights and who have done them in an engaging and challenging way.

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