Revolutionary Songs as a strategy of Transforming Listeners' Mindset: The Zimbabwean Practice after 1999.

Abstract

In a country whose history of the struggle for liberation dates back close to a century from 1890 to 1980, it is apparent that the milieu is dominated by anti-imperialist sentiments. This study outlines media theories and their relevance to Zimbabwe. In addition, it assesses the impact of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings' [ZBH] policy of playing one revolutionary song out of every five songs played on air, as a means of sensitizing listeners into supporting the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front [ZANU-PF]. Hinging on quantitative and qualitative methods the study argues that the policy of playing one revolutionary song out of every five songs, did not necessarily affect the listeners in the manner they were meant to be influenced. A significant number of the Listeners' tastes and mindsets up to date have not been reoriented as the ZBH and the policy making brains behind the scenes had intended. In fact, using radio broadcast to try and manipulate the way people think towards a particular political party's ideology received limited support. It concludes that the majority of radio listeners in Zimbabwe today are no longer interested in the mantra of perpetual liberation war rhetoric.

Keywords

• media theories, Africa, Southern Africa, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings, policy, revolutionary song, listeners, mindset.