Mugabe used an appearance at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) World 2009 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday to attack the West for what he called the continued violation of Zimbabwes airwaves by foreign based radio stations. In a speech that aptly summed up his regimes attitude towards media freedom, Mugabe told The remarks are a continuation of threats made by Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, who last month told a study seminar of army officers that foreign-based radio stations are at war with Zimbabwe . The soldiers attending a five day seminar on low intensity operations and asymmetric warfare at 2 Infantry Brigade Headquarters were told to remain on guard against this threat.
In Switzerland on Wednesday Mugabe was to stun delegates further by saying the use of Information Communication Technologies was a challenge to Zimbabwes sovereignty. He claimed there was a philosophy that seeks to weaponize ICT by turning them into weapons of aggression. One blogger sarcastically suggested that Mugabe might have been talking about exploding handsets or sub machine guns cunningly disguised as laptops. Mugabes exact meaning remained obscure but all the same exposed his paranoia about opening up the media.
ICT Minister Nelson Chamisa is also in Switzerland for the conference, having arrived separately on Monday. Mugabe arrived for the conference on Wednesday. Despite a European Union travel ban imposed on Mugabe and his inner circle the ZANU PF leader and his wife Grace were able to travel because the ITU falls under the arm of the United Nations, where they are exempted from the travel ban. Mugabe is expected back in Zimbabwe on Saturday.
Last week a Swiss based company Nestle, was put under pressure by human rights groups to stop buying milk from a farm controversial seized by Grace Mugabe. The pressure bore fruit, with the company saying it would stop the purchases on the 4th October. With Mugabe spending several days in Switzerland, where Nestle is headquartered, there was predictable speculation over whether his wife would make any attempts to meet Nestle bosses.
Meanwhile Newsreel asked Minister Chamisa if Mugabes attitude towards private Zimbabwean broadcasters based outside the country reflected government policy. He said Mugabes speech merely reflected his fears. The MDC Minister however said it was imperative for the government to licence private players because even if you dont licence broadcasters they will licence themselves via the internet and other forms of ICT. He said ICTs worldwide have helped overcome media restrictions and gave examples of countries like Iran, Venezuela and Burma.
Post published in: News