Radio Voice of the People (VOP)

VOP is broadcast in Zimbabwe's three main national languages (Shona, Ndebele, and English) from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Short Wave via Radio Netherlands transmitters in Madagascar every day. Programme content includes ideas and information designed to foster the social, political, and cultural development of the country. VOP journalists work to present issue-driven (rather than event-driven) news and programmes and to provide clear, complete, and detailed information. They are encouraged to establish networks with both government and civil society organisations in order to seek balanced viewpoints. “Radio VOP is guided by an editorial policy which encourages impartiality: promotes freedom of expression and responsible journalism.” A board of trustees leads VOP on policy matters, while day-to-day operations are overseen by a full-time executive director who is in charge of broadcast journalists and other support staff. Production teams monitor all the station's broadcasts, and criticism from listeners is taken seriously.


Specifically, VOP broadcasts a variety of news stories and editorial comments sourced from both the government and privately-owned media, airing weekly debates on topical issues of the time, such as Senate elections, succession issues, attempts to unite major political parties, and the deterioration of the economy and how to revive it. Some of its programmes focus on human rights abuses, health education, and HIV/AIDS.

The station’s vision is to create a Zimbabwe that respects the right to information and enables citizens to freely exchange knowledge and ideas so as to make informed choices. VOP lobbies and advocates for political, economic, cultural and social development through alternative broadcasting.

The station broadcasts a variety of news stories and editorial comments sourced from both the government and privately-owned media; airing weekly debates on topical issues of the time eg Senate elections, succession issues, attempts towards uniting major political parties, the deterioration of the economy and how to revive it. Some of its programmes focus on human rights abuse, health education, and HIV/AIDS.

Political Development, Community Radio, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights.

In August 2002 VOP suffered a major setback when its offices were completely destroyed in a bomb blast perpetrated by unknown assailants and over the years reporters have been arrested and detained on various charges related to stories they had covered.

VOP won the One World Media Special Award sponsored by the BBC World Service Trust in 2006.The award recognised excellence in coverage which reflects the social, political and cultural life of people in the developing world. It also rewards overseas media projects that make a unique contribution to human rights.

The award honoured the station for broadcasting daily programmes that provide news to more than half a million listeners under tough circumstances.

The following has been taken from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Zimbabwe) nomination document for the One World Media Special Award and are considered major achievements of Radio VOP:

• “Operating a critical media that affords everybody space for free expression in a country where the state is known to unleash police brutality when challenged. Despite this Radio VOP has operated on the ground from within Zimbabwe since inception about six years ago. In its lifetime the station has been castigated and threatened by government and ruling party officials as a mouthpiece of the West because of its criticism of bad policies, human rights abuses and deterioration of rule of law.
• Sustaining an informative and educative programme of 1hour and at times,funds permitting, 2 hours every day without fail and offering a balanced alternative voice to the biased state-run ZBH radio stations which do not offer air time to critical individuals,civic organizations and opposition parties.In short VOP has provided a voice to the voiceless.
• Operating in a harsh media environment in which only the state-run broadcaster has the monopoly of the airwaves and privately owned newspapers have been closed down and those remaining continue to be harassed regularly with their journalists arrested and dragged to court.
• Continuing with operations since year 2000 despite a devastating bomb blast, raids, seizure of equipment and office files, arrests and court cases.Despite being jammed on one frequency Radio VOP has changed frequencies much to the dismay of the state which wants all privately-owned stations to be closed down.
• Increasing the number of journalists from four, based in the major cities to fifteen correspondents in all the provinces in order to cover all news, views and information mainly in Shona, Ndebele and English, the national languages of Zimbabwe.
• Helping civic society organizations involved in human rights, health education, especially HIV/AIDS elimination campaigns, constitutional reform, media pluralism and diversity, gender, human and people's rights, civic rights among others in their outreach programmes by interviewing them about their work among communities.
• Broadcasting a variety of news stories and editorial comments sourced from both the government and privately-owned media; airing weekly debates on topical issues of the time e.g Senate elections,succession issues,attempts towards uniting major political parties,the deterioration of the economy and how to revive it.
• Affording all Zimbabweans the opportunity to air their views freely on matters affecting their lives and country. Radio VOP has covered major events like the general elections of 2000 which brought in a strong opposition in Parliament, the Presidential elections of 2002 which were marked with violence and other polls which followed.The station told the story regarding the deterioration of agricultural activities following the violent land seizures since 2000 by the ruling elite assisted by veterans of the armed struggle. Radio VOP also covered extensively the destruction of homes and settlements during the so-called Operation Murambatsvina (Restore Order) which was widely condemned for its inhuman approach which left a lot of people homeless and destitute.
• The station also affords its listeners a chance to participate in programmes through competitions in which many prizes of Short Wave radio sets are won as a way of promoting Short Wave radio listenership which previously had been overtaken by FM listenership. Radio VOP, together with other three companies formally applied for radio and television broadcasting licences in 2004 when BAZ called for them but non was awarded and it was back to square one -ZBH monopoly. “