Zim: ZIMURA demands ZBC royalties

This was communicated last week by ZIMURA executive director Polisile Ncube-Chimhini when she appeared before the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Parliamentary Portfolio Committee led by Binga North legislator Prince Dubeko Sibanda. The committee heard that efforts to recover the money were unsuccessful.

“As a collecting society, I think our government is letting us down in terms of the implementation of the Copyright Act,” Ncube-Chimhini said. “We do have a Copyright Act, the penalties were drafted well, but when it comes to implementing, there is a problem.”

Ncube-Chimhini also implored Parliament to revisit the Copyright Act, which did not make provisions for the distribution of musical works through new technologies.

ZIMURA's legal representative, Witness Zhangazha, said it was difficult to enforce court rulings against state-owned entities like the ZBC. He said ZIMURA had secured a court judgment in 2012 to attach ZBC’s broadcasting van, but this did not materialise because the vehicle was being employed to broadcast parliamentary sessions to the public.

“The reason we are coming to you is because you don’t just walk into the ZBC, even with your sheriff, and attach government property,” Zhangazha said. “It is difficult, and the ZBC knows, which is why we are coming here in desperation.”

Musicians Charles Charamba, Mechanic Manyeruke and First Farai were also present to plead with the committee to do something about their owed royalties.

Ncube-Chimhini additionally spoke about music piracy in Zimbabwe, saying it was worrying that wrongdoers were paying a mere $20 fine for peddling pirated works.

“Those types of charges for us are not a deterrent at all because the pirate will just leave the court and go back and set up shop at the same corner,” she said. “If you catch them again, they go to court and pay the same $20 and go back again. So if the committee could assist us in terms of the implementation of the Act, it will be helpful.”

In an interview with New Zimbabwe, Chimhini said ZIMURA was devoted to defending the rights of artists.

“Our target is that musicians live off their music just like other people who go to work and live off their jobs. But in Zimbabwe this is difficult to implement. There are only a few who can profess that they are living off their art alone,” she said.

A video of the full parliamentary briefing can be viewed on ZIMURA's Facebook page.