Categories: Stories

Musk threat big blow for VOAs Studio 7 for Zimbabwe

The world’s richest Man, Elon Musk, who was appointed by United States President Donald Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency has called for the shutting down of the propaganda radio station, Voice of America, which runs a radio station dedicated to Zimbabwe called Studio 7.

Studio 7 was started in 2003, the same year that the United States effected its Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) to force a regime change in the Southern African country. 

It broadcasts in the country’s three main languages- English, Shona and Ndebele. The aim was to replace the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation but at a great cost to the American taxpayer.

At one time Studio 7 employed more than a dozen Zimbabwean journalists, some of whom were based in Washington and were earning hefty salaries.

At the time Voice of America was barred from airing its news to US citizens in America because this was classified as propaganda.

Musk said the Voice of America should be shut down because it is just a waste of taxpayer’s money because it is no longer relevant.

He was responding to a tweet by Richard Grenell, a special envoy for President Trump, who criticised the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe saying:  “Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are media outlets paid for by the American taxpayers. It is state-owned media. These outlets are filled with far-left activists. I’ve worked with these reporters for decades. It’s a relic of the past. We don’t need government-paid media outlets.” 

Musk responded: “Yes, shut them down. Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.”

(204 VIEWS)

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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