In late April police in Zimbabwe searched the Bulawayo-based Radio Dialogue offices for broadcasting material they deemed to be a state security risk.
Zenzele Ndebele, Radio Dialogue production manager, confirmed that 10 police and security agents descended on the yet-to-be licensed community radio station’s offices around midday searching for transmission equipment. Reports say they were unsuccessful in their attempts to locate any equipment.
Ndebele said he was shown a search warrant and was charged with the possession of illegal radio transmission equipment. He also said that the police subsequently led him to his house for a search that again reportedly yielded nothing.
In March Ndebele was acquitted on charges of contravening broadcasting laws after an earlier police raid on Radio Dialogue that led to the seizure of 180 radio sets without any transmitting capacity. Radio Dialogue currently broadcasts live on ChannelZim, a free-to-air satellite television and the Internet.
— John Masuku
