Harare- Chitungwiza South Member of Parliament, Maxwell Mavhunga has slammed the government, branding a recently announced reduction in the compulsory vehicle radio license fee as a “facade” and “criminal,” amid allegations the collected funds are being illegally diverted from the national broadcaster.

Mavhunga’s condemnation follows the gazetting of Statutory Instrument 203A of 2025, which reduces the annual Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) radio license fee from $90 to $84—a cut of just 6.7%. This minimal decrease has sparked outrage after Cabinet ministers previously promised a “major reduction” to ease the cost of living and doing business.

A Promise of Relief vs. A “Ridiculous” Reality

The controversy stems from a clear sequence of government pronouncements. In 2025, Information Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere publicly stated the government was working on a review to lower media-related license fees, aligning with a presidential directive. Legislators had specifically proposed slashing the $30 per term fee to between $5 and $15.

·He said what was promised was an insignificant review and reduction of fees despite that the review meant to aid citizens. He said the review only sparked controversy and was misleading the public and reflected a broken promise.

Mavhunga, in a forceful statement, questioned the government’s seriousness:

“Many people celebrated that the government was taking heed to the plight of citizens… Now BOOM the news is out… Are you serious?

I am not advocating that the relevant minister must not promulgate an s.i without parliamentary approval but that there must be a clear policy that compells the debate on all si once they are enacted.

Recently subsidiary legislation has been abused as an easy route to pass laws that are retrogresive , anti people and at times , autocratic”

Allegations of Misuse and Lack of Oversight

The criticism extends beyond the fee amount to the management of the funds. Mavhunga alleges the license fee has become a “new cash cow” not just for ZBC but for the entire Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services. He claims that only about 55% of the collected revenue goes to ZBC, with the remainder being disbursed to other state-media entities like Transmedia, despite having no legal instrument authorizing such distribution.

“This has now seen vultures circulating over the fund,” Mavhunga stated, quoting ZBC employees who said they were “better off without the law because now the cake has more unintended guests.”

A Broader Systemic Problem

This incident has ignited a deeper debate about parliamentary oversight. Mavhunga argues it exemplifies the abuse of subsidiary legislation, where laws with significant public impact are enacted by ministers without robust parliamentary scrutiny. He notes that the Parliamentary Legal Committee primarily checks for constitutionality, not for the “reasonableness or desirability” of a law.

The issue touches on a sensitive aspect of Zimbabwe’s media landscape. For decades, the government has maintained a monopoly over domestic broadcasting. The mandatory ZBC license is a key funding mechanism for this system, while listeners have at times turned to external “pirate” radio stations for alternative news.

This controversy also intersects with wider concerns about corruption and mismanagement in Zimbabwe’s vehicle licensing sector. Other MPs have recently raised alarms over “rampant corruption” within the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), linking bribery and compromised processes to road carnage.

The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has not yet publicly responded to the specific allegations of fund diversion or the criticism of the reduction’s scale. Further parliamentary debate and demands for transparency regarding the Statutory Instrument and the license fee disbursements are expected.