IN this last episode on the use of language as a pre-regime change agenda, we look at tactics used by the country’s detractors to change people’s mindsets through discouraging educating their children under the guise of helping them out of their miserable situation in Zimbabwe.
I look at how the former colonial masters continue their dirty work in Bulawayo, how they have managed to successfully do that through the Radio Dialogue and its sister organisation the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA).
Ironically, there is another residents Association, the Bulawayo Residents Association (BURA) which was deemed more timid to carry out the regime change agenda, this association is officially recognised by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Although BPRA’s mission is to empower residents of Bulawayo in issues of local governance, and collective decision-making through effective participation and informed research that result in improved service delivery, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) has completely derailed from its mission to represent the residents of Bulawayo by advocating transparent, affordable and quality municipal services on a non-partisan basis.
Instead, it has formed structures in all the city’s 29 wards and has used these structures to facilitate research and dissemination of wrong information to the residents of Bulawayo.
The organisation through their sponsors has supported increased dialogue between residents, councillors (all MDC) and the Movement for Democratic Change MDC-T politicians through the formation of disguised community projects such as nutritional gardens and care giving for the sick.
Residents are fed with anti-government messages and urged to protest against the implementation of any programmes initiated by the Government.
A notable case is when more than
1 000 residents were mobilised to march against a decision to install water meters to residents of Bulawayo.
All the demonstrators were paid US$10 each as participation fees.
During the run-up to last year’s general elections, these same structures were used to moblise campaign teams for the MDC which eventually won all the council and parliamentary seats in Bulawayo.
This was in complete violation of their mission statement which stipulates that they empower residents on issues of local governance.
The formed structures which work hand in hand with opposition political parties would distribute materials and other literature that called for regime change and a new Government.
As a result of these structures, a group of young opposition politicians entered the political arena under the two MDC formations tickets.
Although most of them won the elections, the remaining groups are working on sponsored projects to up the regime change agenda.
The materials are produced by BPRA’s parent organisation Radio Dialogue, a ‘non-profit making community radio station’ illegally broadcasting to the community of Bulawayo and its surrounding areas.
The station was founded in Bulawayo in 2001.
According to the station, “We strive to ensure that the people of Bulawayo hear the voices, not only of the rich and the powerful, but also of the women who sell tomatoes on street corners.
“Radio Dialogue is a community radio station for the entire Bulawayo community, transmitting the voices of the old and young, different language groups, ethnic groups and those of different religious affiliations.
“We do this in an effort to enhance community relations in Bulawayo, and to promote understanding and tolerance between those of differing backgrounds, beliefs and interests.”
This has been done through numerous road shows in the city‘s western suburbs.
The station accuses the Government of being, “afraid of allowing its citizens to exercise freedom of speech.
“Three stations do broadcast Zimbabwean programmes from outside the borders, and make an important contribution to freedom of expression.
“Their programmes are popular and successful, but not easily accessible to all. “However, the policy of Radio Dialogue is to remain within Zimbabwe and to use alternative legitimate means of broadcasting, and campaigning within the country for liberalisation of the airwaves.
“We believe that oppressive media laws and harassment of journalists will not end until there is a change of government.”
This statement, however, confirms that the station is being used as a tool for regime change.
In March 2013 Radio Dialogue production manager, Zenzele Ndebele, was arrested for allegedly smuggling shortwave radio receivers into the country.
Ndebele was arrested when police detectives raided Radio Dialogue offices situated at the Ingwe Studios in Bulawayo.
They confiscated 180 solar-powered radio receivers.
He was charged for contravening Section 182 of the Customs and Excise Act.
The swoop on Radio Dialogue follows a February 19 2013 police ban on the possession of specially designed radios and other communication devices.
Police suspected such equipment was being used to communicate hate speech ahead of Zimbabwe’s general elections.
At the time of the ban, police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba told a news conference in Harare that possession and distribution of the devices in question was illegal.
In 2001, Radio Dialogue started packaging radio programmes on tapes and CDs and distributing them to commuter buses.
The CDs were called ‘Topical Taxi Tunes’ and the programmes talked about how Government was neglecting the people of Matabeleland.
The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe moved in and declared the programmes illegal.
They advised the station to apply for a licence, but they didn’t.
The station, however, was not moved by the ban and started distributing media products to their members – through the BPRA and through Radio Dialogue committees in all 29 wards in Bulawayo.
This meant that regime change propaganda was illegally spread faster to residents. Today, these ward committees play an important part in the activities of Radio Dialogue.
Besides organising different events in their communities, they have been used as focal points for the opposition and some international donors interested in regime change.
Radio Dialogue has also been involved in many other projects that have increased its visibility in the community — focusing on anti-Government issues such as health, the shortage of medication in hospitals, harassment by police and war veterans, the lack of teachers and other issues that really affect them.
The so-called citizen journalists have also been asked to report badly on the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET).
What raises so many questions is why the village journalists are also reporting anti-Government stories to Western-sponsored pirate radio stations such as Voice of the People (VOP), Voice of America (VOA) and Short Wave Radio (SW) among others. Some of these stories are published on a blog –www.villagejournalistblogspot.com. So who is really responsible for dividing Zimbabweans on tribal lines and spreading hate speech about the Government?