Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) Executive Director Lewis Mwape has called  Government to reverse the recently pronounced increment of Television Levy from K3 to K5.

Mwape described the TV Levy increment by Finance Minister Felix Mutati in his K71.6 billion 2018 National budget, unjustifiable following failure to advance reasons.

“They are no convincing reasons given for the increment by Mr. Mutati. ZCSD and many Zambians have observed that TV Levy has not for a long time helped to improve the operations of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), which was the main purpose for its establishment,” lamented a tart Mwape.

Mwape is incensed that ZNBC has continued being used to advance the political interests of any given political party in power at the expense of representing the views of the 16 million Zambian masses.

“Today, ZNBC cannot be referred to as a “Public Broadcaster” as majority members of the public do not benefit from the biased programming of the institution. ZNBC has contributed to divisions and hatred in Zambia,” a straight-talking Mwape noted.

Mwape restated a progressive reasoning and probe that for a long time, ZCSD and like-minded groups had noticed that ZNBC does not embrace diversity in their radio and television coverage as they have deliberately denied coverage to individuals and organisations with divergent views from those of ruling party voices.

“Freedom of expression which ZNBC has not promoted, is an ingredient of peace and unity building and could have been used as a motivation for public ownership through contribution of TV levy by a willing citizenry,” cried Mwape.

Mwape, an educationalist by profession  demanded that Parliament considers to amending the ZNBC (Amendment) ACT No. 16 of 2010, specifically to do away with part IV, section 25, which empowers ZNBC to collect the controversial TV Levy.

“Laws that merely empower institutions and disempower citizens must be rejected. This law has not made any attempt to empower the public to hold ZNBC accountable, yet it is a crime for citizens not to pay TV Levy,” complained Mwape.

Mwape says Digitalisation of TV communication requires new laws that go with the cost of digital satellite communication, thus invalidating the TV Levy increment as unnecessary and a burden on the majority Zambians struggling to access basic human needs such as food, clothes and clean drinking water.

“There is lack of sensitisation on the newly introduced mode of payment through subscription fees as it is not clear if people who are subscribed to more than one signal provider, will have to pay TV levy to all,”

Mwape observed lack of clarity amid boisterous claims of Zambian migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.