The closure of VoA Studio 7 is a victory for tyranny in Zimbabwe!

The oppressed people of Zimbabwe have lost another voice!

The closure of the Voice of America (VoA), particularly its Zimbabwe-focused service Studio 7, marks a dark and devastating chapter for millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who relied on the platform for credible, uncensored news and information.

In a country where press freedom is a mirage, dissent is criminalized, and state-controlled propaganda floods the national airwaves, VoA and Studio 7 stood out as trusted sources of truth.

For years, they served as a critical bridge between the people and the democratic world, between the silenced masses and their constitutionally guaranteed right to be informed.

It is not an exaggeration to say VoA gave Zimbabweans a voice.

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With a state-controlled broadcaster -  Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) -  holding a near-total monopoly on the national conversation, and private radio stations like Star FM and ZiFM also effectively government-aligned, Zimbabweans have long suffered under a media landscape where the ruling elite controls the narrative.

Independent voices are drowned out or excluded altogether.

In such an environment, Studio 7 was not merely another radio program -  it was a symbol of resistance, an educational platform, and a democratic tool that leveled the information field, particularly in the rural parts of Zimbabwe where most of the population lives and where state propaganda is most deeply entrenched.

Radio remains the most accessible medium in Zimbabwe.

The majority of Zimbabweans reside in rural areas where access to television is rare, newspapers are often out of reach, and the internet remains either unavailable or unaffordable.

In these communities, shortwave radio has been the lifeline to the outside world, offering a rare glimpse into national events, opposition viewpoints, and global developments without the distortions of government spin.

Studio 7, broadcasting on shortwave from the United States, penetrated even the most remote areas of the country, empowering citizens with truthful accounts of the situation in their own homeland.

For those of us who contributed to or were interviewed by Studio 7 over the years, we saw firsthand the power of that platform.

I have been interviewed numerous times on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, the deteriorating economic conditions, and the deepening democratic deficit.

Each interview was an opportunity to speak truth to power, to share stories that would never be allowed on ZBC or any state-aligned outlet.

More importantly, it was an opportunity for listeners -  especially the marginalized, the oppressed, and the voiceless -  to hear that they were not alone in their struggle.

VoA and Studio 7 were the only radio platforms that fearlessly reported on the brutal and barbaric attacks on perceived opposition supporters -  especially in rural areas -  where villagers were beaten, tortured, or killed for daring to support opposition parties or refusing to vote for ZANU-PF.

Studio 7 reported courageously on how food aid was routinely weaponized as a political tool, with ruling party officials denying opposition supporters access to food during droughts unless they pledged allegiance to the regime.

Such issues were either ignored or downplayed by the state broadcaster, which functions more as a propaganda arm of the government than a public service media institution.

The station was among the very few to offer detailed and continuous coverage of the horrendous 2008 political violence, during which hundreds of opposition MDC supporters were massacred across the country after ZANU-PF's presidential candidate Robert Mugabe lost the first round of elections to Morgan Tsvangirai.

Studio 7 gave the victims a voice when the state silenced them.

It covered the widespread post-election retribution campaigns by the regime and allowed opposition leaders, human rights defenders, and survivors to share their stories when no other platform would touch them.

Studio 7 also played a vital role in exposing acts of high-level corruption that the state media blatantly ignored.

From the 2020 $60 million COVID-19 PPE procurement scandal, which implicated senior government officials and saw contracts awarded without due process, to the suspicious procurement of overpriced parliamentary equipment and the controversial forced procurement of fire tenders by all local authorities at the instruction of central government -  Studio 7 consistently brought these matters to light.

It was one of the few platforms that demanded accountability, probed the abuse of public funds, and asked the difficult questions that ZBC would never dare raise.

VoA also played a crucial role in amplifying the work of civil society organizations and opposition parties that were otherwise denied space on state media.

In a country where opposition leaders are routinely barred from campaigning in rural areas, and civil society actors are harassed, arrested, or outlawed, platforms like Studio 7 filled that vacuum.

They provided political education, civic awareness, and a space for competing ideas to flourish.

Citizens could hear not just the voices of the powerful, but also those of their fellow citizens, community leaders, and activists fighting for justice and accountability.

Predictably, the ZANU-PF regime viewed VoA and Studio 7 as threats.

Its journalists were subjected to harassment, threats, and arrests.

Many were forced to operate under pseudonyms to protect themselves and their families.

There were repeated calls -  especially under Robert Mugabe's rule -  for Studio 7's shortwave signal to be jammed.

Rural communities found with shortwave radios were threatened or even beaten, and some radios were confiscated and destroyed.

These acts of persecution were designed to instill fear and discourage citizens from accessing independent news sources.

Yet, despite these risks, millions continued to tune in, because truth cannot be silenced.

The US government's decision to shut down VoA is not just an administrative adjustment or a matter of internal restructuring -  it is a political and moral catastrophe.

It hands a major victory to the Zimbabwean regime, which now enjoys almost total control of radio communications in the country.

With no meaningful external counterbalance to its propaganda, ZANU-PF can now dominate the national discourse without challenge, manipulating public opinion and suppressing dissenting voices with impunity.

Meanwhile, the average Zimbabwean -  especially in rural areas -  is left even more vulnerable to state indoctrination.

This decision could not have come at a worse time.

Zimbabwe is experiencing one of its darkest periods, with democratic institutions under siege, poverty levels worsening, and state repression intensifying.

Independent media voices are needed more than ever to document abuses, question power, and give ordinary people a sense of agency.

The closure of VoA, especially Studio 7, leaves a void that will not easily be filled.

It signals a retreat of global solidarity at a time when Zimbabweans most need international support and engagement.

VoA's significance was not limited to Zimbabwe alone.

Across Africa, it represented the best of what international public broadcasting can be -  professional, fearless, people-centered, and grounded in truth.

It was an example of how journalism could serve the public good, even across borders, and it inspired trust in places where trust in local institutions had long been eroded.

With its closure, the silence will be deafening.

But those of us who know the value of truth-telling will not be silenced.

We mourn this loss deeply, but we also recommit ourselves to the same mission VoA championed: to inform, to empower, and to speak for those whose voices are being crushed.

History will not forget who stood with the people -  and who chose to walk away.

© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/