The recent enactment of a law mandating Zimbabwean motorists to purchase a radio licence before renewing their vehicle registration or insurance is nothing short of state-sanctioned extortion.
Besides, this new law unnecessarily overburdens motorists.
They already have radio licences for their receivers at home, and some of them have more than one car.
In effect, therefore, they are being forced to pay for the same service multiple times, and this is an injustice.
Framed as a bid to increase compliance with the Broadcasting Services Act, this move shamelessly weaponises bureaucracy to funnel millions into the coffers of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) — a broadcaster long criticised for functioning as a propaganda organ of the ruling Zanu PF.
Let us not sugar-coat it, ZBC has lost its moral legitimacy.
It no longer serves as a public broadcaster in any meaningful sense, but rather as a megaphone for government narratives, often at the expense of impartial reporting.
Forcing every motorist — regardless of political affiliation or actual use of ZBC services — to subsidise a broadcaster that openly favours one party is a profound affront to democratic principles and media independence.
The numbers speak for themselves.
With over 1.2 million registered vehicles in Zimbabwe, and ZBC charging US$92 per annum per licence, the broadcaster stands to rake in upwards of US$73 million annually.
This is a staggering figure for a country where the average citizen struggles to afford basic commodities, let alone fork out extra fees for services they neither consume nor support.
What is even more galling is the complete disregard for public sentiment.
During consultations, citizens overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, citing economic hardship and ZBC’s political bias.
Yet, MPs and the executive bulldozed the law through Parliament, ignoring the very people they purport to represent.
This raises a deeply troubling question: whose interests are our legislators serving?
The so-called “loophole” — allowing motorists to apply for exemption certificates if they do not have a radio — may appear as a gesture of flexibility, but in reality, it is likely to trigger a wave of quiet rebellion.
Already, car audio installers report an uptick in requests to remove radios, not for theft protection or repairs, but as a desperate attempt to avoid paying this punitive fee.
This ironic outcome may lead to hundreds of thousands of radios being yanked out, not only undermining the law’s revenue goals but also inadvertently harming Zimbabwe’s private broadcasters such as ZiFM and StarFM.
These stations depend on car listenership to deliver advertising value to commercial clients.
A mass exodus of vehicle radios will shrink their audiences and commercial viability.
Worse still, the setting of the licence fee as an “administrative matter” — not subject to parliamentary debate — grants ZBC unilateral power to set and increase charges without public oversight.
This is a slippery slope towards economic abuse and financial unaccountability, where state institutions can milk citizens without transparency or accountability.
Zimbabweans are already contending with a suffocating array of taxes, fees, and tariffs. Forcing them to subsidise a partisan broadcaster adds insult to injury.
Government should focus on reforming ZBC into a genuinely independent public broadcaster — one that earns citizens’ trust — instead of coercing obedience through legislation.
In its current form, this law is not just bad policy.
It is a naked cash grab disguised as public service, and it must be repealed.
Information for Development Trust is a non-profit organisation enhancing access to information on corporate and political governance transparency and accountability.
