Minister Webster Shamu – a Case to Answer?

Posted by ZDN on September 11, 2009

There are two items that obsess ZanuPF at present:

One is the arms embargo and targeted travel ban on individuals, which ZanuPF shrilly denounces as ‘illegal sanctions’.
The other is the existence of shortwave radio stations that are not under their direct control.

The world is clearly not allowed to do things without ZanuPF’s permission!

But, with ZanuPF’s blessing, anything goes:
On 7 September 2009, the (ZanuPF) Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu, was ‘delighted’ to launch H-Metro, a new daily tabloid which has been published without a license by the Zimpapers group, in violation of the current media laws.

Minister Shamu used the occasion to attack ‘pirate’ radio stations which, he claimed, were being enabled by the MDC element in government:

“…what must also stop is the continuing situation where some parties in the GPA continue to aid and abet illegal, extraterritorial pirate broadcasts which violate our sovereignty in the name of media freedoms. The GPA the often quoted GPA – disallows this as gross external interference in the affairs of our country. These stations – all of them sited in countries that have slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions – are a violation of the GPA. To the extent that they persist well into the Inclusive Government, they amount to an outstanding matter which must be addressed by those who needed them, indeed created and legitimised them in the name of struggling for their own brand of democracy here.”

SW Radio Africa, ‘The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe’ was asked to comment on the minister’s statement, and if indeed they would obediently shut down if ‘some parties in the GPA’ asked them to. Their reply was:

SW Radio Africa would like to reiterate that it is not ‘pirate’ radio station. Our broadcasts are legal under international law governing shortwave radio broadcasts.
Additionally we won the right to set up Zimbabwe’s first independent radio station in the country’s Supreme Court – when the full bench of the court agreed with our right to freedom of expression under Zimbabwe’s constitution. Unfortunately Robert Mugabe used his presidential powers to overturn that court ruling and have us forcibly shut down in 2000. Since then no independent radio station has been licensed.
We regret the fact that the closure of ‘external’ radio stations is part of the GPA, as we are a private and independent company staffed and managed by Zimbabweans, and no one has any influence or control over our broadcasts.
We would not voluntarily shut down if asked by the MDC or the GPA, or anyone else, as we believe absolutely in the right of Zimbabweans to have access to free and independent news and information.
Gerry Jackson
Station Manager

Minister Shamu’s allegations that ‘some parties’ in Zimbabwe’s inclusive government created, or have control over, external radio stations remain to be proved. Voice of America’s Studio 7 also broadcasts into Zimbabwe.

The minister insists that the provisions in the GPA regarding the media should be followed to the letter – but the privatisation of ZBC is not on his agenda. Perhaps Finance Minister Biti should consider ZBC and the Zimpapers shareholding in his list of state assets to be sold off.

Is there is now a case for the other members of the GPA to sit on the board of both ZBC and Zimpapers? If the Zimpapers Group is 70% owned by the Inclusive Government, surely all partners in the GPA should have equal representation on the Zimpapers board of directors?

Media groups are already calling for the suspension of all Zimpapers titles on the grounds that they have not been properly licensed. ZWNews reported that: “Media analysts have suggested that if H-Metro is – as the minister claims - not owned by the state, then it needs a permit, without which government would have no option but to shut it down. The same would apply to any other unlicenced mastheads in the ZimPapers stable.”

In his speech Minister Shamu emphasised that Zimpapers was government owned, with a 70% majority shareholding, adding, “Let it be pronounced here that Zimpapers is not a State enterprise.” He then pointed out that wholly state-owned media (such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation) were exempt from the media laws.
“My ministry will not condone the breaking of the law,” he declared.

Is he a schizophrenic? No. He is just using standard ZanuPF dual-thinking techniques: The law must be applied, except to ourselves.