6 new tv licenses finally awarded but how private and independent are they? Were licenses awarded to Government or ruling party affiliated entities and individuals?

The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has awarded six television licences following public interviews held in October 2020. We wrote an article about the issue earlier. This is the first time that the country has licensed commercial television stations. Channels are expected to be live in the next 18 months.

The newly licensed television stations are:

1. Acacia Media Limited
2. Channel Dzimbahwe
3. Fairtalk Communications
4. Jester Media
5. Rusununguko
6. Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN)

This is a great initiative and will go a long way in offering wide range of entertainment and content for the public viewers. This comes to end 40+ years of a monopoly by the Government owned ZBC channel. However, the question arises to how independent from the Government are the new TV channels.

Acacia Media belongs to former Zanu PF Goromonzi South parliamentary aspirant Sharon Mugabe, Channel Dzimbabwe by former ZBC boss Happison Muchechetere. ZTN is owned by the state-controlled Zimbabwe Newspapers Group, Rusununguko by the Zimbabwe National Army, and Jester media is under the Daily News stable.