Bright Matonga, the Zanu (PF) legislator for Mhondoro-Ngezi, who is also a member of Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technology told journalists here that government was not yet ready to free the broadcasting airwaves because it had no capacity to monitor and control them.

By VOP Zimbabwe

Matonga who was addressing journalists at a Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe chapter belated celebrations for World Press Freedom Day, said research he carried together with Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) chief executive officer, Tafataona Mahoso recently had shown that government had no capacity to monitor and control the airwaves.

Matonga said the airwaves could not be opened up to private players at the moment because Zimbabwe was using analogue broadcasting system which had no capacity. He said what was required was investment in the digital technology which could expand the capacity of broadcasting. He invited those with money to apply to construct the digital infrastructure.

“There is no way the government can be pushed to issue the broadcasting licenses now because according to a research that we carried together with Mahoso the government has no capacity to monitor and control those airwaves. This means anybody who wants to get a licence to broadcast should buy monitoring equipment first and hand it over to government so that you can be monitored,” said Matonga.

Matonga also accused journalists and some political parties of demanding broadcasting licenses now because the country is heading towards elections.

“Some of you and your parties are demanding broadcasting licenses now because we are heading towards an election, that is wrong, what about after elections will you continue broadcasting?” he asked.

The Zanu (PF) legislator defended the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) for aligning itself to his party, saying currently there is competition in the inclusive government over the control over the state broadcasting company.

“We have three parties in the inclusive government at the moment and all the parties are in competition over the control of ZBC. So I don’t have a problem if Zanu (PF) gets the upper hand at ZBC because this is competition. Who would not want his party to be on top?”

Zimbabwe has no private or community radio stations at the moment. However, it has exiled radio stations such as Radio VOP, Voice of America’s Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa.