Matabeleland South proportional representation legislator Sibongile Maphosa has compared the proposed law requiring motorists to pay for radio licences when renewing their car licences to being infected with HIV.
The Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill was recently passed by the National Assembly, with some opposition legislators expressing opposition to the proposed law.
During the debate on the Bill, Maphosa pointed out that in December, 800,000 people paid for their car licences to the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), but only 400,000 paid for radio licences. She said:
<blockquote>
What we are trying to do here is infecting this ZBC pandemic to ZINARA. When we enact this law, what will happen Madam Chair is that ZINARA already has third party insurances which we see as useless because they indicate that when you have an accident, you fix your own car and when you have an accident with someone and you are at fault, that is when the insurance pays.
This is what has affected ZINARA and has brought apathy to ZINARA where you find people not being forthcoming in terms of paying for insurances because it is difficult for  them to pay for insurances. So, they end up exempting their cars. 
If it was not for this insurance challenge, in December, we might have had more than a million people paying. 
Now, with the burden of ZBC riding on the insurance and on top of ZINARA fees, it means ZINARA has twins like ZBC and the insurance. It is like being infected by HIV. Taking ZBC is like taking ZBC’s illness and infecting ZINARA.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://insiderzim.com/tying-zbc-licence-to-car-licence-is-like-being-infected-with-hiv-mp-says/">Insider</a>

Pindula News

A lawmaker compared a new law about paying for radio licenses with renewing vehicle licenses to being infected with HIV. The law was passed but some lawmakers disagree. The lawmaker said that the law would burden people who already struggle to pay for insurance for their cars. She said that people might stop paying for insurance and wouldn't renew their licenses. She compared it to having twins, being like being infected with a serious illness. It's a big problem for people needing to pay more fees.

MP Compares Tying ZBC Licence To Vehicle Licence To Being Infected With HIV

The Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, gazetted on Friday, seeks to make it mandatory for public broadcasters with multiple channels to broadcast at least 75 per cent local content across all their platforms.
However, broadcasting services emanating from outside the country will be exempt from this provision.
Licenced sports television channels will be required to dedicate 50 per cent of their airtime to local sports content and social media broadcasters transmitting national events will be compelled to register with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).
Insurance companies will be prohibited from selling motor vehicle insurance to individuals who do not hold valid ZBC radio licenses.
Subscription broadcasting service providers will be obligated to carry up to three channels from public broadcasters.
The legislative changes aim to align the Broadcasting Services Act with the Constitution and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act, supporting media diversity, enhancing local content production, and fostering sectoral investment.
Foreign ownership in broadcasting licenses will be capped at 40 per cent to ensure local majority ownership while attracting foreign investment.
Clause 21 amends the principal Act to require sports channels to broadcast 50 per cent local content, recognizing the commercial value of international sports while ensuring local content representation.
The Bill seeks to prohibit insurers from selling motor vehicle insurance to motorists without a valid ZBC radio licence.
Linking motor vehicle insurance to a ZBC radio licence ensures all vehicle owners contribute to this revenue stream, minimizing evasion.
Fees collected from radio licences are crucial for sustaining public broadcasting, especially for local content production, covering national events, and maintaining nationwide radio services.
Clause 15 inserts a provision prohibiting the sale of motor insurance to persons without a ZBC radio licence.
Clause 16 requires subscription broadcasting service licensees to transmit up to three channels of the public broadcaster.
The amendments aim to broaden BAZ’s regulatory powers to address currently unregulated areas, modernize the regulatory framework, and promote local cultural identity.
Clause 17 adds new regulatory powers for BAZ, including addressing migration issues due to technology changes, introducing monetary violation penalties for non-compliance, commissioning independently produced content, and ensuring language quotas.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

A new law wants public TV and radio to show mostly local stuff, but foreign things are okay. Sports channels need to show local sports, and social media broadcasters must register. You can't get car insurance without a radio license. Also, TV providers must show public channels. The changes aim to follow the rules, support local media, and bring in foreign money. They also want to make sure sports channels show local stuff, and make sure everyone with a car pays for radio to support local broadcasting. The law also gives more power to the people who regulate TV and radio.

Proposed Law Pushes For 75% Local Content For Public Broadcasters

An opposition Member of Parliament has expressed concern over the Cabinet’s proposal to make the payment of radio licences for motorists mandatory.
Emakhandeni-Luveve MP, Discent Bajila (CCC), described the move as “parasitic and symptomatic of a government that is continuously on the lookout for opportunities to fleece its citizens of hard-earned cash.”
On Tuesday this week, Information Minister Jena Muswere announced that Cabinet had approved principles of a bill to amend laws that will compel motorists to buy radio licences before renewing their vehicle licences in a bid to raise over US$73 million annually for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
Speaking to <a href="https://cite.org.zw/lawmaker-challenges-mandatory-radio-licence-for-motorists/">CITE</a>, Bajila said the move must be resisted with “maximum effort from all and sundry.”
He explained that the announcement is not law and therefore should not be used to bind citizens. Bajila said:
<blockquote>
Anyone enforcing a Cabinet Press Statement, whose contents are neither a Statutory Instrument nor an Act of Parliament is acting unlawfully. Law-abiding citizens must not be complicit in such.
Specifically, these cabinet principles are not law until they have been taken for public hearings as a Bill wherein the views of every citizen must be taken on board.
Thereafter, Parliament has to debate the principles as a Bill and pass or reject them.
Every law-abiding citizen is encouraged to report to the nearest police station anyone coaxing them to be complicit to an unlawful process.
</blockquote>
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana said the government’s position on the issue of mandatory radio licence has been misunderstood. 
Posting on X (Twitter), Mangwana said that while the approval of amendments to Acts of Parliament is significant, it does not automatically mean that the proposed changes take immediate effect.
He explained that when the Cabinet passes principles to a Bill, it represents a legislative intent, but it is not yet the Act itself, nor is it the finalized Bill. The following steps in the legislative process determine whether the proposed changes become law. These are:
<blockquote>
1- A draft Bill will be done by the AG. 
2-The Draft Bill will go to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation(CCL) where it will be scrutinized. 
3-Then it will go to full Cabinet where Cabinet will make comments. 
4-The AG will tidy up the draft taking into account Cabinet input. 
5-The Bill will be gazetted. 
6-The Bill will be scrutinized by the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC), checking on compliance and alignment with the Constitution. 
7-Public consultations will be held. 
8-The Bill will be debated in Parly. 
9-Senate Input. 
10-Presidential Assent.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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