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Social Media Reacts To Kwese Licence Saga
Econet Media this year launched a satellite network, Kwese TV, in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia, skipping Zimbabwe, but this weekend “they announced” that they had sealed a partnership with DR Dish.
Yesterday, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) shook the Zimbabwe night when they advised the public that the authority had not issued a licence to Kwese TV to operate in Zimbabwe. In a statement, BAZ CEO, Mr Obert Muganyura said in terms of the Broadcasting Services Act [chapter 12:06], no person shall provide a broadcasting service in Zimbabwe other than in accordance with a licence issued by BAZ. With an announcement of this magnitude, there’s been plenty of interesting reaction on social media from Zimbabweans local and abroad, reporters and countless others.
In February, Masiyiwa disclosed on Facebook that he wanted Zimbabwe to be part of the project that would create thousands of jobs, but failed to get approval from the government. This is not the first time, Econet has had licence issue with the Government.In 1993, Strive Masiyiwa took the Zimbabwean government to court in a gruelling five-year legal battle, and Econet has since grown into the government’s cash cow.
Late last year, Kwese TV signed a deal with ZBC to screen its football content, but this was cancelled after only one week. Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary, George Charamba, said “There was an attempt to smuggle Kwese TV programmes onto our screens and we said get it out of our screens,”
This deal could have seen ZBC getting up to six hours of content from the Olympics, which ended last month, and one live English Premier League match would have been aired every Saturday on ZBC TV for free.
Here’s a look at some of the best reactions to the Kwese licence deal:
And what content is Kwese TV providing? American Basketball? African content? Zimbabwean content? The whole issue is about content, stupid! https://t.co/sIm1lV2x8M
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) August 24, 2017
If Zanu PF is genuine about indigenization, empowerment & job creation, it'll have no problems licensing KweseTV & allowing it to flourish.
— Fadzayi Mahere (@advocatemahere) August 23, 2017
5. How does a regime take so much pride in frustrating its own citizens and home grown corporations? Imagine the spin-offs from Kwese TV?
— Alex T Magaisa (@Wamagaisa) August 23, 2017
2. Kwese TV has been authorised to operate in many African countries, except in Zimbabwe, the original home of its mother company.
— Alex T Magaisa (@Wamagaisa) August 23, 2017
The dictators here are those who are abusively claiming here that there's only one reasonable view about Kwese TV. It's nonsense! https://t.co/EWFXaLtklg
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) August 24, 2017
We hear Kwese will charge $49, which incl installation.
Monthly subs $29
Weekly subs $9
Three Days $5How does Dstv compare for you?
— Zim Media Review (@ZimMediaReview) August 23, 2017
11/ My view is they wont allow Kwese Service as long as we are going into elections & factionalism is rearing its ugly head in Zanu.
— mmatigari (@matigary) August 24, 2017
do you want Joshua Nkomo to rise from the grave and instruct you (gvn)to give Kwese tv the licence?Dstv is giving us a row deal
— Gugulethu Nyathi (@gugu7nyathi) August 24, 2017
We were looking forward to support #Kwesé but hey… very sad ? what happened.
— Munya Mundembe (@MMundembe) August 24, 2017
Pardon has been a technology enthusiast his entire life and has spent the better part of last decades in information technology and security, and he writes with an aim to remove some of the "mysticism" from the cyber world. He’s the Editor at Techunzipped. Away from the keyboard, you're likely to find him playing with the latest gadgets or the latest Game.