Robert Mugabe’s regime has resumed jamming news broadcasts from SW Radio Africa (SWRA), despite the existence of the coalition government with the MDC that is supposed to guarantee freedom of expression. On Wednesday evening the first half hour of the broadcast featuring Newsreel was drowned out by a heavy noise, sounding like a slow playing record.
SW Radio Africa listeners said that soon after the news ended the jamming noise stopped and the rest of the broadcast featuring current affairs programming could be heard clearly.
Information Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa told SWRA’s Newsreel he was not aware of the jamming. He said; ‘We will have to start gathering our facts on the matter before coming up with our position.’ Deputy Information Minister Murisi Zwizwai’s phone went unanswered the whole day. But a source told SWRA that the Central Intelligence Organisation, which falls under the President’s Office, is running the operation.
Andy Sennitt adds: There is a 25-second recording of the jamming on Sokwanele, the blog of the Zimbabwe Civic Action Support Group. I am not an expert on jamming, but I have never heard jamming noises like these before.
on Sep 3rd, 2010 at 11:26
Yes, that is the ‘usual’ sound of Zimbabwe jamming. You remember Radio Botswana’s ‘farmyard’ IS? This is similar — car horns, street sounds, guy trying to sing, etc.
I think it was probably made pretty quickly but it is effective.
on Sep 3rd, 2010 at 11:45
Ah, that’s what it is! Thanks Bill. Yes, I recall Radio Botswana’s interval signal. I believe Jonathan played it on one of the Media Network shows. Having watched the World Cup from South Africa, I imagine vuvuzelas would do the job pretty effectively too
on Sep 3rd, 2010 at 18:07
Wow I have not heard that in a while. It reminds me a type of jamming that once came from somewhere in the former Eastern Bloc hat would use a tape loop running in reverse.