Harare — Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings is next Friday -- on Africa Unity Day -- expected to launch a new short wave radio station, The Voice of Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwean news and news analysis station that will broadcast internationally.

"The station will be Zimbabwe's first world station. It will broadcast initially for just two hours a day and gradually increase its broadcast time until it becomes a 24 hours a day news and talk station," ZBH said in a statement.

"Although aimed predominantly at a world audience, the station may be of interest locally too because of its focus on news, news analysis and discussion programmes."

It said the station would broadcast from well-equipped studios in Gweru, adding world television broadcasts would be added to the station during the course of the year.

The new station is headed by Happison Muchechetere, who is the station's general manager, and has more than 20 years experience in broadcasting.

He joined the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation as a reporter in 1984 and has held a number of senior positions with ZBH, having at different times been head of Television Productions, Head of Current Affairs Productions and Assignments Editor.

He trained in radio and television production in Tunisia, Holland and at Stanford University in the United States.

He was head of Electronic Services at New Ziana for the past five years.

ZBH group chief executive Mr Henry Muradzikwa said the station would counter the hostile propaganda of other foreign-based radio stations by providing factual information about the real situation in Zimbabwe.

"It will not be a propaganda station. It will present the truth.

"We hope it will also give Zimbabweans an opportunity to tell their own story.

"We plan to not only interview businespeople and other people in urban areas but to go out to rural areas and record what people there have to say," he said.

Muchechetere made a similar point: "We have not been created to counter or oppose what other radio stations say.

"Our mission is to give a true picture of events in Zimbabwe.

"We will not be setting out to comment on or react to what other stations say. We will be telling our own story, the true story of events in Zimbabwe," he said.

The new station will give Zimbabweans living abroad and anyone abroad with an interest in Zimbabwe the opportunity to hear reports on what is happening in Zimbabwe and news analyses from a Zimbabwean perspective.