Suchergebnisse

The road to dependence is paved with good intentions Adewale Maja-Pearce

The cautious counsel keeping a low profile, but this means nobody calls Banda's bluff. The author, Index's Africa specialist, was in Malawi in May 1991

The IMF is putting the squeeze on Zambia and its people are hungry. The words of the all-powerful ruler and 'father' of the nation go unheeded and his 'children' rise up to bite the hand that is failing to feed them

Rumour has long had it that democracy is not suited to Africa. This report is dedicated to all the continent's journalists who know this to be a wicked lie and whose own insistence on a free press will ensure the emergence of that long-desired democracy

A journey through West Africa

Radio is the most effective means of communication in Africa, which in most places was controlled by the government until several years ago. Zimbabwe was the last African country to open radio to private competition in 1994. Independent radio stations offer guidelines for pluralism in their respective countries, but do not yet challenge the state monopoly. There is a need for a politically impartial body to regulate access to broadcasting frequencies, since the airwaves in some countries, eg, Rwanda & South Africa, have been used to incite violence & racial hatred. In Zambia, licenses have been granted by the government only to Christian groups, which serves the government's purpose. Independent radio stations tend to be based in capital cities because of advertising revenues, but such placement has political consequences. Examples of manipulation of independent radio stations by the government in the areas of election coverage, censorship, & community radio are cited for Kenya, Namibia, Uganda & Malawi. A crucial struggle remains to open up the airwaves to public funded national networks. 8 Photographs. M. Pflum

In a continent with relatively low rates of literacy, radio is the most effective means of communication. At a time when democracy is putting down tentative roots in Africa, this report looks at the independent radio stations which have emerged over the last 15 years, and examines the extent to which they have contributed to the plurality of voices within their respective countries