THE majority of Zimbabweans own a television set of one dimension or the other despite living on the brink of poverty.
By Masola wa Dabudabu
The State exercises monopoly over local television airwaves making most programmes aired by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) emotionally corrosive like concentrated acid on the skin. Consequently, people who afford the luxury subscribe to satellite television providers to maintain a degree of sanity.
Indeed owning a television set can be a source of both momentary bliss and near-perpetual frustration for most Zimbabweans.
Television programmes are extremely adulterated by Zanu PF for maximum political gain. This overt desire by the ruling party to exert control over what people can or cannot view makes ZBC-TV an unattractive entity even to diehard apologists.
ZBC is a sterile organisation that nurses hopes of delivering glory to an inglorious political party.
Each time Zimbabwean viewers switch on their television sets, they are likely to experience horrendous sensations derived from what is deciphered from the airwaves.
Certainly State control has killed the role of the television as a source of information, a well for learning and an arena for family entertainment.
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The party is literally guilty of committing murder most foul by redefining the propaganda agenda for ZBC.
ZBC broadcasts have become an antithesis to good, old family values. The national broadcaster seems to be at war with listeners and viewers as it tests the people’s thought processes to the limit.
Satanic broadcasts are on the increase despite intended recipients’ signs of perseverance and resilience. People are virtually prisoners of the State. They are perpetually subjected to torture by visual and auditory means at the behest of the State.
People’s airwaves are laden with lies, horror, misrepresentations and more lies. The State continues to confirm its willingness to perpetuate terrorism on the people.
ZBC-TV wilfully colludes by agreeing to air vulgar broadcasts. The State claims that the broadcaster operates with integrity in defence of sovereignty.
For most people there is no escape from this state of mental siege. Poverty-stricken peasants always tune in to ZBC broadcasts in the hope that one day the corporation will meet its responsibility and accountability to then. The people receive no reprieve from aerial abuse.
Many a time frustrated viewers have nearly smashed their television sets only to be restrained by their internal fear of losing valuable property.
The national broadcaster regularly serenades the people with poisonous tidings during a tragicomedy known as “News Hour”. There is a strong suspicion that this horror hour was brought to being on the premise that Zimbabweans are a gullible and impressionable people.
The amount of horror dished out during that hour is so great that Steven Spielberg and Christopher Lee would learn a few tricks on making horror movies from it.
News Hour is a scary time for the people. Viewers always agree that News Hour is a period that can unfold melodramatic horrors and made-up discomforts.
Most people experience rising blood pressure during this trying hour. ZBC staff could decided to help the tormented citizens by giving them news as it is, not as the “party” would want the news to be.
The rot displayed during News Hour is not a true reflection of what this great country stands for. It is a product of a few apologists who use the public broadcaster to launder their dirty linen.
Given a choice to base their opinions on professionalism, some people at ZBC would sanitise the broadcaster into an honourable entity; but then the party has finger-tip control on them.
ZBC would do better by being objective and truthful in its news broadcasts. ZBC could leave conjecture and speculation to imaginative viewers.
Should ZBC require opinions of lay analysts, the streets, the avenues, the villages and suburbs are fertile grounds that breed people who are able to articulate objective and balanced views.
ZBC should desist from its current mentality that the best opinion can only be obtained from Zanu PF members only.
It is a fact that Zanu PF instructs ZBC to look for pseudo-political analysts who only analyse the pertinent issue according to the tunes of the “party”.
Even where ZBC staff could have exercised their will, they will always call upon those well-known for bleating the party’s gospel.
The broadcaster is famous for offering cameo roles to political commentators who articulate nothing but subjective praise of Zanu PF.
ZBC is guilty of stifling democratic views through its umbilical association with the interests of the ruling party.
Most of the workers at ZBC have chosen to dress themselves in hangmen’s attire after appointing themselves to that role. They have developed an appetite and obsession to kill off the opposition.
The unbearable torture from the airwaves will end one day only if ZBC staffers start differentiating the smell of coffee from the stench of dirty politics.
Genuine Zimbabweans can also help by actively challenging the lies that are peddled by the State broadcaster.
The people should declare that they have had enough of this verbal and pictorial abuse by the State!
