SW Radio Africa, a radio station based in the UK targeting listeners in Zimbabwe, has said that its last short wave transmission would be Tuesday 31 May 2005.
The station – operated by a number of expatriate Zimbabweans – has been subject to extensive jamming, seemingly carried out by the Zimbabwe government. This forced the station to broadcast on multiple frequencies. While this was successful and SW Radio Africa’s listeners have been able to clearly receive the station, it has proved financially unsustainable. The station simply could not afford the extra sums needed to pay for multiple short wave transmissions.
From 1 June 2005 SW Radio Africa will be carried on medium wave for two hours in the early morning
(05000700 Zimbabwe time) and 24 hours a day on the website www.swradioafrica.com.
The station reports that its medium wave signal does not cover the whole of Zimbabwe and many listeners will no longer be able to hear the channel which carries uncensored news from across Zimbabwe.
The station manager, Gerry Jackson, commented: “A free media is the cornerstone of any democracy and we will do our very best to ensure that we continue to provide a voice for Zimbabweans, as we struggle along this difficult road to freedom together.
“A luta continua (the struggle continues) was the slogan of African liberation movements. Sadly its a slogan that is still applicable to Zimbabwe.”