In an open letter in the Zimbabwean newspaper Harare Tribune in August 2008, musician Leonard Zhakata asks the country's ruling party ZANU-PF: "Why do you ban my music from being played on ZBC tv and radio?"
When Leonard Zhakata first heard that certain of his songs had been banned from the airwaves because they were perceived to be ‘politically incorrect’ he immediately went to have a meeting with Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings chief executive officer Munyaradzi Hwengwere. The officer assured Leonard Zhakata that it is not the corporation's policy to blacklist particular songs, but the musician was not convinced. Whenever he'd ask why his music videos are not played on ZBH TV, he'd be receiving conflicting explanations.
"The Zimbabwe censorship board has not come up with any spelt guidelines as to what we should sing or not. What they have done is to let broadcasters decide what they want played and what they do not want played. This has left the ZBH with a monopoly to blacklist songs it sees as politically incorrect," Leonard Zhakata wrote in Harare Tribune.
He feels that the message of his songs have been misinterpreted by ZBH, and even though his songs are not political, he has had to cancel a number of live shows in areas dominated by the ruling party as they threatened his person.
One year ago, two Zimbabwean musicians were charged of singing 'insulting' songs. Their lawyer and producer say the country is not yet safe for the duo to come out of hiding
The music of 56-year-old Sungura musician Hosiah Chipanga has been banned on national radio, Radio Zimbabwe, wrote the newspaper ZimDaily on 7 June 2009.
A song composed by Tongai Moyo, a popular Zimbabwean musician, has reportedly been denied air play by the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, ZBC
Job of a secret police officer in Zimbabwe now hangs in balance. His offence: he was linked to music that is deemed to be ‘sensitive’ by president Robert Mugabe’s regime
Two musicians who are facing charges of singing songs that are ‘sensitive’ failed to appear in court, and now a magistrate court has issued a warrant of arrest for them
Voto Radio Station invites all protest singers whose work is banned in Zimbabwe to use it as a platform where they can musically voice their concerns without fear of repression
Five days in prison and a possible sentence of up to two years imprisonment has not deterred two protest Zimbabwean singers from continuing to sell their new album
Raymond Majongwe could not find anyone who would print or publish his music within the country. He had to resort to foreign lands for recording his new album
While the radio keeps rotating songs that praise the current regime, opposition and dissenting voices are silenced, and things fall apart, writes Maxwell Sibanda from Harare
Exiled Zimbabwean singer Viomak released her third protest music album, 'Happy 84th birthday President R.G Matibili (Great Son of Malawi)' on 21 February 2008
'Rock de Vote' concert in Norton was delayed by more than four hours after the council chairman who is a known Zanu PF had called it off the last minute
Maskiri, a rapper with an explicit and cutting tongue, has been forced to change the title of his upcoming album in order for him to get airplay from the state broadcaster
