The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana has defended the continued use of roadblocks to check for valid radio licences describing the measure as necessary and temporary to ensure compliance with the new broadcasting law.
Mangwana said the checkpoints, which have sparked public debate, are crucial for tackling exemption fraud and ensuring motorists meet all statutory obligations under the recently enacted regulations that make radio licences compulsory for all vehicles fitted with radios.
“The ongoing utilization of roadblocks remains a necessary measure to ensure compliance with the compulsory radio licence. These checks help prevent exemption fraud and identify motorists who may have temporarily removed their radios to avoid paying the licence fee,” Mangwana said.
He explained that a number of vehicle owners had applied for exemptions from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) claiming their cars were not fitted with radios.
Spot checks at roadblocks, he said, were vital to verify such claims and discourage fraudulent practices.
Mangwana also pointed out that the checkpoints were helping authorities address transitional non-compliance as some motorists had renewed their ZINARA and insurance licences before the radio licence component was introduced.
“Roadblocks provide a mechanism to identify these vehicles and ensure subsequent compliance,” he said.
The enforcement initiative, he added, was also aimed at curbing overall licence defaults noting that some motorists were failing to meet multiple statutory obligations including ZINARA and ZBC licence renewals yet continued to use their vehicles.
Mangwana said government’s ultimate goal was not to maintain the roadblocks indefinitely but to foster a culture of voluntary compliance.
“It is important to contextualize this enforcement strategy. Since the introduction of the new law, the number of roadblocks has been significantly reduced. The ultimate objective is to gradually phase out these measures entirely as compliance levels improve,” he said.
The new law requires all vehicle owners whose cars are fitted with radios to pay an annual licence fee to the ZBC.
The funds are meant to support public broadcasting services.
However, the move has drawn mixed reactions, with motorists and civic groups urging authorities to explore less intrusive enforcement mechanisms, arguing that multiple checkpoints inconvenience travelers and contribute to congestion on major routes.
Despite the criticism, Mangwana maintained that the current system is both lawful and effective in ensuring accountability as the government works to streamline media revenue collection and strengthen public broadcasting in the country.
