The Government of Botswana has published its official reply to the complaint from Zimbabwe about VOA Studio 7:
Response to Zimbabwe State Media allegations that Botswana is hosting pirate radio stations.
The Government of Botswana has noted the re-appearance of allegations in a section of the Zimbabwe media that it is hosting hostile pirate radio stations.
In this respect, Botswana wishes to once more state in no uncertain terms that she does not harbour any such radio stations in her territory.
With specific reference to allegations about Studio 7, it should be noted that it is a Voice of America (VOA) Programme produced in Washington D.C. and is only relayed from VOA facilities in Botswana, a fact which has, moreover, been acknowledged by the Government of Zimbabwe in the past. It can thus not be properly characterised as a radio station.
It should be further noted that there is nothing exceptional about Botswana hosting the radio relay broadcasting facilities for an international broadcaster such as VOA.
For example the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service, is reported to have some sixty (60) radio broadcast relay facilities in Africa, a third of which are located in SADC Member States.
Radio France International (RFI), Radio Netherlands and Radio Deutsche Welle (Germany) are among the other international broadcasters known to have relay facilities in the region.
The VOA relay station, located near Selebi-Phikwe, has been in open operation for three decades. Its frequencies are filed with the International Telecommunications Union. The VOA relay transmitter was not constructed to relay to Zimbabwe alone, but to the region as a whole, including of course Botswana.The Government of Botswana is unaware of any broadcasts being relayed by VOA from the facility could be considered as hostile to Zimbabwe.
VOA television as well as radio broadcasts have, moreover, become an accepted part of the Southern African broadcasting landscape. Finally the hosting of international relays is consistent with the principle embedded in the SADC Protocol on Information, Culture and Sports which provides for a diversity of opinion and free flow of information in the region.
(Source: The Government of Botswana)
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