Zimbabwe president approves bill mandating radio licence for vehicle insurance
Zimbabwean motorists must now pay for a radio licence before renewing their vehicle insurance, following the signing of a controversial new law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This new requirement will cost drivers about $92 a year if they want to tune into the radio while on the move.
This measure seems to be part of a broader strategy to diversify the state broadcaster's revenue streams. Critics, however, say the fee's pretty steep, particularly given the current economic hardships many face. Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is among the dissenters, calling the law "draconian, anti-citizens, and outrightly heartless."
Despite the backlash online, Nick Mangwana, a senior official from the ministry of information, came out defending the law. He termed it "necessary" and "fair," indicating a government stance that might not sit well with the public. In Zimbabwe, there are roughly 1.2 million registered vehicles, but only around 800,000 of those have insurance.
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is reliant on licence fees and government funding to stay afloat. The broadcaster has long struggled to get enough people to pay for their TV and radio licences, which leads critics to demand the fee's repeal, claiming that it is biased towards the ruling Zanu-PF party. This is particularly troubling for the opposition, who also accuse ZBC of offering unfair coverage during election cycles; ZBC has denied these claims.
Under the new Broadcasting Services Amendment Act, all motorists must pay this radio licence fee before they can even think about renewing their vehicle insurance or getting their licence sorted from the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara). The fee, as structured, breaks down to $23 every quarter, translating to that $92 annual sum.
