Online Reporter
Ray Bande-Senior Reporter
REVENUE realised from Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation radio licence fees — is not meant to buy flashy cars for management, but to transform its programming, reclaim the channel of choice status to justify the fee, Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana has said.
The ZBC Radio Licence requirement saw, as of May 2025, motorists paying an annual fee of $92 (or $23 per quarter) to renew their vehicle registration and insurance.
In his address at the ongoing week-long Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Strategic Review and Planning Workshop here in Vumba, Permanent Secretary, Mr Mangwana, said: “ZBC now has the money. It has more money than it has ever had in a very long time. But it does not have money to splash around.
“It has money to drive the Government agenda, to change the reputation of ZBC, to draw the audience from other platforms, to engage the Zimbabwean public and ensure that the national vision is curated nicely and delivered to the people.
“That ZBC remains or becomes the to-go-to site, outplays those fake news sites out there. Fact-checking should be done by merely going to the ZBC channel on television. The whole idea was not for you guys to drive nice cars.”
Mr Mangwana said the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has taken brickbats for the national broadcaster regarding the radio license fee approval and sustenance.
“Right now, we are getting a very big push back from the public. We are also getting push back under the ease of doing business efforts and initiatives and you know we are under pressure to cut that license fee to a more affordable value. We are refusing because we believe ZBC needs the money,” he said.
Mr Mangwana reminded the national broadcaster of the need to meet its financial obligation in paying content creators.
“By any means, please, ZBC, don’t go around borrowing content and fail to pay,” Mr Mangwana said.
“You have a reputation in the market. The idea of disempowering content creators should cease, forthwith.
“The disempowerment of content creators, which actually decimated the content creation cluster, is because ZBC was not paying its content creators, local ones. I do not know what this batter trade that ZBC was doing. People don’t pay rent using batter. No! People pay rent with money and they buy equipment with money.
“So, please pay the content creators. Those same content creators will have a studio to use at the production centre, our studio, and ZBC should be buying that content.”
The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary said every cent that is being collected under the radio license fee must be accounted for.
“But that is not only ZBC money now. As you were presenting, you presented something called revenue sharing,” he said.
“Of course you will share part of the revenue with Transmedia, they will share part of the revenue with BAZ and again, when that trickle down happens, every cent must be accounted for. Every single cent must be accounted for and it should be channelled to the correct strategic intent.
“ZBC, the message is very clear. You are very heavy on personnel. I think find efficiencies. I am not asking anyone to be retrenched, but there are very clear ways you can do that. You can downsize your monolithic organisation to make it more nimble.
“There is a notion out there that ZBC is a bottomless pit. If you keep pouring money into it, you will still never see the difference. That speaks to certain cultures and work practices that should be done away with.
“That should be the other way round. So Mr Chagonda (ZBC chief executive officer) Mr Sugar Chagonda) we want to see the difference now that you are there. And the difference shall be seen and heard, seen on our television and heard on our radios.”
