Radio Dialogue losing patience with GNU over licence delays
Posted on February 8, 2010 | Category: Politics; Business, Sport
A Bulawayo based community radio initiative, Radio Dialogue has released a press statement saying it is losing patience with government over its failure to provide a broadcasting licence.
Speaking at a press conference held after the handover of the Radio Dialogue constitutional report activities to the parliamentary select committee(COPAC) on Saturday at Bulawayo Rainbow hotel, chairperson of the Radio Dialogue Trust, Peter Zwide Khumalo said the inclusive government has failed to liberate the media.
Khumalo said failure to provide radio licences is testimony that the government cannot fulfill the Global Political Agreement.
“For five years now Radio Dialogue has been meeting with government on the issue of community radio licensing,” Khumalo told the conference, “The GPA brought great hope that, at last, licences would be issued. For sixteen months now the people of Bulawayo have been waiting the Inclusive Government to fulfil its promises. But this has been in vain.”
Khumalo was reiterating the words of the executive director of Radio Dialogue Nigel Johnson who said the GPA is not working.
“Article 19 makes it clear that all licences , all applications will be processed immediately,” Johnson said, “This was signed by Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. They all signed that they will process applications immediately but it hasn’t happened.”
Khumalo also criticised the ministry of media, information and publicity for its failure to constitute a legitimate broadcasting authority.He said the ministry is in a state of confusion.
“The Minister unilaterally appointed members to BAZ,” he said, “These appointments were immediately rejected by the Deputy Minister and subsequently by the Prime Minister.”
In April 2009, the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu toured Radio Dialogue studios, and held discussions with trustees and staff.The chairperson of Radio Dialogue Trust also stated that Radio Dialogue has sent proposals of the amendment of the Broadcasting Services Act through the parliamentary portfolio committee.Furthermore, Khumalo also told the conference that Radio Dialogue is ready to broadcast.
“Technologically, we are advanced and we’ ve got the equipment,” he said, “In terms of skills base, we’ ve got the staff and the structures are there and they are trained.We are ready for a license to raise the mast and start broadcasting.”
Meanwhile, the handover of the Radio Dialogue report on constitutional activities to COPAC was attended by two parliamentary select committee co-chairpersons, Edward Mkhosi and Douglas Mwonzora, members of the civic society and Radio Dialogue ward committee members.
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