NO INDEPENDENT RADIO STATIONS ALLOWED IN ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe police raid broadcaster.

President Mugabe's government is pushing for stronger action against independent media. Zimbabwe police have raided the offices of an independent radio station in Harare and arrested three journalists.

The station, Voice of the People, broadcasts via Radio Netherlands. Independent stations not are permitted to transmit from inside Zimbabwe. Police also seized computers during Thursday's raid. "They had a search warrant on which it said they were going to search for broadcasting equipment," managing editor Shorai Kariwa said. Lawyer Tafadzwa Mugabe said three staff members had been arrested in an "unprocedural" manner. The three were still being held by police late on Thursday evening.

The raid comes two days after Information Minister Tichaona Jokonya threatened to take action against the independent media, which he accused of representing Western interests.

BBC NEWS REPORT