Zimbabwe: Trial date set against VOP directors

To: IFEX Autolist (other news of interest)
From: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), research@misa.org

Zimbabwe Alert Update
April 27, 2006

Trial date set against VOP directors

The following is an update of MISA Alerts issued on December 15, 2005 and February 02, 2006. See www.misa.org for more information.

The trial of Voice of the People (VOP) board members accused of operating a radio station without a licence in terms of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) has been set for 15 June 2006 at the Harare Magistrates Courts.

A Harare magistrate set the trial date on 26 April 2006 when the VOP board members appeared in court on remand.

David Masunda, Nhlanhla Ngwenya, Lawrence Chibwe, Millie Phiri, Arnold Tsunga, Bella Matambanadzo and director John Masuku, are accused of contravening section 7(1) of the Broadcasting Services Act which prohibits broadcasting without a licence.

It is alleged that the accused established an office at Beverly Court in Harare which they equipped with computers and produced news programmes. The news programmes were allegedly then dispatched to a transmitter in the Netherlands from where they were relayed to Madagascar.

The state alleges that the station in Madagascar then beamed the programmes into Zimbabwe via short wave.

**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole responsibility of MISA**

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