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Police bar community radio initiative from holding road show
MISA-Zimbabwe
May 20, 2010

Nkabazwe Community radio initiative based in Gweru was 19 May 2010 denied police clearance to hold a road show scheduled for Saturday 22 May 2010.

The community radio initiative made an application for police clearance on 18 May 2010 and was denied the clearance the following day. Executive committee representative, Timothy Mpofu who spoke to MISA Zimbabwe said the police denied them clearance for 'security reasons'.

In justifying the refusal to grant clearance to the community radio initiative, the police said that the political environment was not conducive and that other people with political interests might attend the event since it was an open show.

The police also said that the community radio initiative should apply for a licence to the BAZ if they wanted to operate. This was despite the fact that the intended road show was specifically an awareness roadshow on what community radio is. The BAZ has not yet called for applications for broadcasting licenses yet, hence it is not possible to make an application for community broadcasting presently neither is it possible for community radio initiatives to put in applications with the statutory Zimbabwe Media Commission.

Currently Zimbabwe has nine community radio initiatives in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Hwange, Kariba, Masvingo, Mutare and Kadoma; all of which await broadcasting licenses.

Background

This denial of a police clearance for Nkabazwe community radio comes at the backdrop of a similar case where journalists in Masvingo were barred from conducting a procession on 8 May 2010 in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day under the same pretext of 'security reasons'

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