Mozambique: Community Radio Stations Complain Of Government Interference

By Jorge Joaquim

Mozambique’s National Forum of Community Radio (FORCOM) has issued a statement condemning attempts by government institutions to undermine the journalistic independence of its members in recent years.

Among other examples, FORCOM highlighted an incident this month in which the education, youth and technology service of the district of Macanga in Tete province allegedly tried to coerce Planalto de Furancungo Community Radio into replacing its management with individuals linked to the government.

FORCOM called on the state to refrain from impeding freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 48 of the Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique.

Recently, Mozambican civil society organisations rejected the government’s proposal to grant itself the competence to discipline the functioning of the media regulator, arguing that this matter should be the exclusive provenance of a law approved by parliament.