Donors Dump Zim's SW Radio Africa

Harare. August 6, 2014 – London-based SW Radio Africa has been forced to cease broadcasting after losing donor support.

SW Radio Africa, a non-profit station which broadcasts daily into Zimbabwe on shortwave, is winding up it operations on August 10.

Gerry Jackson, SW Radio Africa founder and editor, confirmed the impeding closure of the radio station which used to air daily between 6 and 9pm Zimbabwean time.

“It is with regret that SW Radio announces that it is closing down,” Jackson said in a statement.

“We recently stopped our shortwave transmissions but have continued to provide broadcasts via our website and other formats, but these too will cease.

“We’d like to thank the organisations and individuals who have supported us for the past 13 years and the contributors to our programmes who have given so willingly of their time and expertise.”

The radio station was set up by a group of Zimbabwean journalists and started airing on December 19, 2001.

The North London-based independent radio station had gathered a growing number of listeners, with its existence infuriating the Zimbabwean government.

Jackson, who helped form SW Radio Africa after losing her job as a radio presenter for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in 2000, thanked the station’s listeners.

“In particular we’d like to thank our listeners, who have shared their lives, hopes and dreams with us and helped us to tell the story of Zimbabwe’s sad decline to the world,”
Jackson said.

“We hope that one day Zimbabwe finally has a government who understands that its sole responsibility is to ensure a safe, healthy, prosperous life for every man, woman and child in the country.”

Staff at the radio station said they were  disappointed that donor withdrawal had led to the downfall of the radio station.

Daily News