SABC channels switch off viewers in Zimbabwe

SOUTH Africa broadcasting corporation yesterday disconnected its channels on the free to air decoder users.

Yesterday local viewers who depended on Wiztech, Philibao, Fortec and Vivid decoders for free channels failed to access SABC 1, 2 and 3 channels. The viewers complained that they missed out on entertainment and the popular Christian programmes they used to watch.

If disconnected permanently, viewers would have no option but to go back to ZTV or switch to the more expensive Digital Satellite Television (DStv) .

In 2012, Sentech, a South African television signal carrier, was ordered by the Johannesburg High Court to encrypt its signal within three months.

The development has seen Zimbabwe losing access to the neighbouring country's free-to-air TV channels.

Sentech distributes free-to-air channels such as South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) 1, 2 and 3 among others, which are popular among Zimbabweans who use Wiztech, Philibao, Fortec Star and Vivid decoders to gain free access to the channels.

Statistics indicate that there are about three million viewers on Wiztech regionally.