(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 and 26 March 2004, police in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city, raided the offices of Radio Dialogue, a community radio station, and arrested several staff members. Sharon Sithole, the station’s human resources officer, told MISA-Zimbabwe that five police officers came to the station on the morning of 25 March and asked […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 and 26 March 2004, police in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city, raided the offices of Radio Dialogue, a community radio station, and arrested several staff members.
Sharon Sithole, the station’s human resources officer, told MISA-Zimbabwe that five police officers came to the station on the morning of 25 March and asked to see the station manager, Father Nigel Johnson, who was in South Africa on business. The officers then produced a search warrant stating that they had reason to believe that Johnson was in possession of “subversive material”. The officers proceeded to search the station’s eight offices and two studios and seized documents. They also recorded information about the station’s 17 employees.
Sithole confirmed that the officers questioned her about ties between Radio Dialogue and Bulawayo Agenda, a local initiative that organises public meetings where Bulawayo residents discuss issues of concern. In the afternoon, the officers visited Bulawayo Agenda’s offices, where they also seized some documents and took the secretary-bookkeeper in for questioning.
That same evening, police contacted Sithole on her mobile phone and told her to report to the central police station for questioning. They picked her up at her home and took her to the police station, where she was questioned for nearly two hours before being released.
On 26 March, officers returned to Radio Dialogue’s offices, where they arrested Marketing Officer Koliwe Nyoni. Nyoni spent the morning and part of the afternoon at the central police station. Nyoni was asked about a Public Order and Security Act public awareness advertisement that MISA-Zimbabwe had placed in newspapers in 2003. A copy of the advertisement was among the documents seized on 25 March. Nyoni was also questioned about the activities of MISA-Zimbabwe and Bulawayo Agenda.
On 26 March, Bulawayo Agenda Coordinator Gordon Moyo also spent the day at the police station. After questioning him, officers proceeded to search his house.