Guerrilla Radio Hits the Airwaves in Zimbabwe
  as The Banned Press Goes Underground

1. I understand that you used to work for a publication that is now banned. What was the name of that newspaper?

The name of the publication that I used to work for was called The Daily News, and it was an independent daily news. It was published by an organization called Associated News Papers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) it was banned in 2003 and it was founded in 1998.

2. What did the government give as its alleged reasons for shutting down the newspaper you worked for?

ANZ was challenging the constitutional validity of certain sections in a new law that was passed in parliament. The law is called Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act (AIPPA). Section 66 of the law prohibited print mass media companies from operating without first obtaining a registration certificate from the Media and Information Commission (MIC). I will explain a bit about MIC; this is a government controlled body which was appointed by the Minister of Information to regulate the media in Zimbabwe. The commission was appointed (at) the absolute discretion of the Minister of Information, on terms and conditions set by him. The minister is only obliged to consult the president when appointing members of the commission i.e. the minister consults the person that appointed him/her to the position of minister.
  When shutting down The Daily News, the government said (that) not registering under The Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act (AIPPA) was the reason (for) closing down the newspaper. When The Daily News applied for the certificate, their application for registration was turned down. 

3. Where do you work now?

I now work for a private radio station called Radio Voice of the People (VOP), Its a private radio station that broadcasts in Zimbabwe using short wave transmitters. The Zimbabwean government enjoys a broadcasting monopoly by virtue of section 27 of the Broadcasting Act. Private radio stations are not allowed to operate in Zimbabwe and the government call them pirate radio stations; our studios are outside Zimbabwe.

4. The government in Zimbabwe today strictly controls the press. As a journalist how do you work around the restrictions imposed on you?

We are now working under very difficult conditions. If one is caught there is the risk of going to jail for two years, so what we do is we use pen names for any kind of work we do, and mostly we work from different Internet cafes because if you have a permanent office it (is) very easy for the government’s security agents to track you and arrest you.
Last year they raided Radio VOP's offices and confiscated equipment and arrested the journalists in the newsroom, hence the radio station has moved its studios to Cape Town in South Africa.   

5. Do you see an end to the problems in Zimbabwe in the near future?

With inflation at 2 200% which is a record high, I foresee a regime change  during next  year's presidential and parliamentary elections. The people have suffered enough hardships and I think they will go out and vote out the present government. After the government has been removed I think the next government will need maybe five years to rebuild the economy.