Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Blessings Chidakwa,Harare Bureau
THE Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill makes it mandatory for motorists to acquire car radio licences before buying insurance or a vehicle license disc.
According to the Bill, the requirement to first buy a radio licence can only be waived if one gets an exemption from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation or unless the vehicle is not equipped with a radio receiver.
While the present law requires all car radios to be licensed, and these are usually sold at the time the vehicle is licensed, it is not very difficult to avoid buying the licence.
The Bill, which is now before Parliament for debate, makes it impossible.
Gazetting of the Bill followed an approval recently by Cabinet compelling motorists to buy radio licences whenever renewing their vehicle licences thereby boosting the public broadcaster’s revenue streams.
Clause 15 of the Bill seeks to insert a new provision which prohibits the sale of a motor insurance cover to persons who do not have ZBC radio licences.
“The Zimbabwe National Road Administration and every motor insurance company shall only issue a motor vehicle licence and motor insurance policy respectively to individuals who either hold a current radio licence issued by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation or a valid exemption certificate from ZBC unless the vehicle to be insured is not equipped with a radio receiver,” reads the clause.
The Bill requires that motorists without a radio receiver must sign a declaration form stating that their vehicle did not have a receiver so that they could be granted an exemption.
Speaking after Cabinet approved the amendments, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said the proposed media reforms will create a conducive media environment in the country.
“In terms of the amended Act, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation revenue base will be broadened since it will be mandatory for all motorists to have a current radio licence before either disposing of their vehicles or purchasing motor vehicle cover or policy.”
Dr Muswere said ZBC will make inspections to ensure compliance.
He said it was important for a national broadcaster to accrue revenue from licences, as it was mandated by the law to air national and events of public interest.
This, Dr Muswere said, was different from commercial broadcasting stations that are not legally obliged to broadcast national events such as burial of national heroes or awareness programmes of a pandemic and parliamentary sittings, among others.
The Second Republic has over the years taken a deliberate position to reform the media landscape through bringing in more broadcasters as a way of promoting media diversity and pluralism.
Zimbabwe has 1,2 million registered cars but an average 800 000 pay vehicle licences, according to the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration.
However, many of the unlicensed vehicles are assumed to be off the road.
