Three decades of nationalist broadcasting in Southern Africa

This is the history of the last four anti-Apartheid radio stations in Africa.

The authors discuss:

• (i) the histories of the African National Congress station Radio Freedom, the South West African People's Organizations of Namibia (SWAPO) Station, Voice of Namibia, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) station, Voice of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) station Voice of the Revolution;
• (ii) the countermeasures taken by the colonial authorities against these stations; and
• (iii) the effect these stations had (or may have in the case of South Africa) on post-independence broadcasting in the respective countries. 

The four stations had the same central purpose: opposition to white minority regimes. They all have similar histories and their respective experiences impacted on post-independence broadcasting in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Radio Freedom will expectedly play a role in the restructuring of the South African broadcasting system. Examination of the dynamics of the four stations proves valuable in understanding the social and political transformation of the respective societies.

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