By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Anger has trailed the signing of a contentious bill by Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, which requires vehicle owners to buy a radio licence before acquiring vehicle insurance.
Under the new law, motorists are required to pay $92 (£68) annually in order to have the permit to listen to the radio in their vehicles.
Introduction of the levy is an approach to increase revenue sources for the state-owned broadcaster, Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), but it has been criticised as too high, especially given the difficult economic situation.
The amended Broadcasting Services Amendment Act also requires all motorists to now pay the radio licence fee before they can go ahead to process the renewal of their vehicle insurance or obtain a licence from the road safety organisation, the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (ZINARA).
The amendment, recently approved by parliament, fixes a quarterly sum of $23 for the radio levy, which amounts to $92 per year.
The new law was “too draconian, anti-citizens and outrightly heartless”, a vocal opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, said in response to the new amendment.
But a senior official in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mnangagwa, while responding to concerns raised by motorists, said the new law was “necessary” and “fair”.
According to local media, there are about 1.2 million registered cars in the country but only 800,000 of them pay insurance.
The ZBC depends on licence fees as well as government grants for its operations. It also generates some revenue through advertising, which is inadequate to sustain it.
But the broadcaster is struggling to make people pay for their TV and radio licences. Critics have called for the scrapping of the fee, accusing ZBC of biased coverage in favour of the governing Zanu-PF.
The opposition has alleged unfair coverage by the broadcaster, especially during elections, an allegation the ZBC has denied.
The new amendment also prohibits all motor insurance companies from selling their products to motorists who do not hold a valid ZBC radio licence, unless they have a ZBC exemption certificate or the vehicle being insured does not have a radio receiver.
