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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 79902, member: 636"]
A radio host on ZiFM Stereo known as MisRed, real name Samantha Mary Musa, is pushing back against critics of the station's listener-chosen awards. The controversy started after opposition figure Fadzayi Mahere won the top honor, Zimbabwean of the Year, through a public vote conducted on WhatsApp. MisRed stated on social media that she had zero control over the results, which were purely decided by the audience, who also handled the nominations.

She framed the whole thing, including the heated online arguments it sparked, as a sign of healthy democratic debate in a country with diverse viewpoints. According to her, having an open vote and public conversation shows progress, not division. The blowback has been fierce from accounts supporting the ruling ZANU-PF party, with some, like a commenter named Jones Musara, demanding the government pull the station's broadcast license for honoring people they see as hostile to the state.

This is a weird look, since ZiFM Stereo is actually owned by a company founded by a high-ranking ZANU-PF official, Supa Mandiwanzira. Other people nominated for the main award included a mix of business figures like Wicknell Chivayo and sports stars like cricketer Sikandar Raza. MisRed's main point stands: the listeners picked the winners, end of story.
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