During the belated World Press Freedom Day celebrations in Harare on Monday, May 6th, Caston Matewu (CCC), Member of Parliament for Marondera Central, advocated for the transfer of tv and radio licensing duties from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).
As per NewsDay, Matewu, who chairs the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, emphasized the need for Parliament to discuss this matter. He expressed his stance that ZBC should not be responsible for collecting these license fees, asserting that BAZ should handle this task on behalf of the State.
Matewu disclosed plans to introduce the topic for debate in Parliament, inviting stakeholders to contribute their perspectives once the Bill is presented. He affirmed, “We are collecting a number of stakeholders to come to Parliament so that you can give us your views on what you think.”
Recently, the Cabinet approved amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act, which would require motorists to purchase radio licenses from ZBC during vehicle license renewals. If ratified by Parliament, this amendment will mandate motorists to obtain a radio license before obtaining vehicle insurance, unless exempted by ZBC.
