News / National
High Court withholds ruling on Kwese TV
06 Sep 2017 at 07:01hrs | Views
The High Court yesterday withheld ruling on whether an application by Econet Group's pay television service, Kwese TV, in which it is challenging the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (Baz) over an operating licence, was urgent or not.
This comes after Baz declared Kwese TV illegal and warned the company against providing services without a licence.
The development could set the stage for another bruising legal battle between Econet and President Robert Mugabe's government, which lost a highly-publicised battle against the telecoms, media and technology group's founder, Strive Masiyiwa, in 1998.
Econet Media last week announced the introduction of Kwese TV in Zimbabwe, to compete with the country's sole State-owned television station as well as Naspers' Multichoice.
Indications were that Kwese TV would rise on a third party licence held by Dr Dish.
However, in a statement issued by Baz chief executive officer Obert Muganyura, Dr Dish's licence had long been revoked after the company failed to launch a service.
Kwese TV approached the High Court last week on an urgent basis demanding the reversal of a decision by Muganyura.
In the application, Dr Dish is the applicant, while Baz and Muganyura are the respondents.
By the time of going to print last night, High Court judge Charles Hungwe had not yet delivered his ruling on the urgency of the matter, and both parties' legal counsels, Beatrice Mtetwa for the applicant and Thembinkosi Magwaliba for the respondents confirmed the development.
"I am not aware if the ruling has been made because judgment was reserved and the judge said that the ruling would be ready by today but nothing has been communicated as yet," Magwaliba said yesterday.
The matter was heard on merits after the judge dismissed a preliminary point that had been raised by Muganyura, in which he claimed that the application had been brought at the wrong court. He argued that the application must have been made at the Administrative Court as opposed to the High Court.
Dr Dish argued in court papers that Muganyura's actions, without board approval, are ultra vires the powers vested in him, adding that his decision threatened 1 635 jobs and 24 145 subscribers.
"Monetary loss exceeding $1,4 million including staff costs at the rate of $979 500 per month (and) loss of projected revenue for the months of August and September amounting to $2,4 million at the rate of $88 000 a day (and) the risk of 1 635 jobs (and) the risk of a write-down of more than $4,1 million already incurred in the purchase of set-top boxes (as well as) great inconvenience to the 24 145 customers, who were enjoying the service and 7 259, who had applied," Dr Dish executive chairperson Nyasha Muzavazi said in his founding affidavit.
The Mugabe government, which has a stranglehold on the country's broadcasting sector, would be particularly wary of new entrants into the industry, months ahead of the 2018 elections.
Although some Zimbabweans have access to Multichoice programming, many cannot afford the service.
Kwese TV's entrance could significantly reduce the cost of accessing media alternatives.
Media surveys suggest that the majority of Zimbabweans still rely on the State-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) radio and television channels for news and information.
The State has, in recent years, issued radio licences to entities connected to the ruling party and government in a bid to provide a veneer of plurality.
Zimbabwe, with its one national television station, lags behind the rest of the continent in broadcasting plurality, despite being the second African country - after Nigeria - to see the introduction of a television service in 1960.
Television was only introduced in South Africa in 1976, nearly two decades after Zimbabwe.
Dr Dish argued in the application that Muganyura's actions without warning were a violation of the applicant's and ordinary Zimbabweans' freedom of expression and the media.
On the other hand, Muganyura said that Dr Dish was licenced at its own instance to provide My TV Africa content distribution service, before making an amendment to BosTV in terms of Section 15 of the Broadcasting Services Act (Chapter 12:06).
"On October 12, 2016, first respondent (Baz) served applicant (Dr Dish) with a letter requesting applicant to show cause why its licence should not be cancelled on the basis that applicant had ceased to provide the My TV Africa licenced service and had failed to pay licence fees for the past three years," Muganyura said.
This comes after Baz declared Kwese TV illegal and warned the company against providing services without a licence.
The development could set the stage for another bruising legal battle between Econet and President Robert Mugabe's government, which lost a highly-publicised battle against the telecoms, media and technology group's founder, Strive Masiyiwa, in 1998.
Econet Media last week announced the introduction of Kwese TV in Zimbabwe, to compete with the country's sole State-owned television station as well as Naspers' Multichoice.
Indications were that Kwese TV would rise on a third party licence held by Dr Dish.
However, in a statement issued by Baz chief executive officer Obert Muganyura, Dr Dish's licence had long been revoked after the company failed to launch a service.
Kwese TV approached the High Court last week on an urgent basis demanding the reversal of a decision by Muganyura.
In the application, Dr Dish is the applicant, while Baz and Muganyura are the respondents.
By the time of going to print last night, High Court judge Charles Hungwe had not yet delivered his ruling on the urgency of the matter, and both parties' legal counsels, Beatrice Mtetwa for the applicant and Thembinkosi Magwaliba for the respondents confirmed the development.
"I am not aware if the ruling has been made because judgment was reserved and the judge said that the ruling would be ready by today but nothing has been communicated as yet," Magwaliba said yesterday.
The matter was heard on merits after the judge dismissed a preliminary point that had been raised by Muganyura, in which he claimed that the application had been brought at the wrong court. He argued that the application must have been made at the Administrative Court as opposed to the High Court.
"Monetary loss exceeding $1,4 million including staff costs at the rate of $979 500 per month (and) loss of projected revenue for the months of August and September amounting to $2,4 million at the rate of $88 000 a day (and) the risk of 1 635 jobs (and) the risk of a write-down of more than $4,1 million already incurred in the purchase of set-top boxes (as well as) great inconvenience to the 24 145 customers, who were enjoying the service and 7 259, who had applied," Dr Dish executive chairperson Nyasha Muzavazi said in his founding affidavit.
The Mugabe government, which has a stranglehold on the country's broadcasting sector, would be particularly wary of new entrants into the industry, months ahead of the 2018 elections.
Although some Zimbabweans have access to Multichoice programming, many cannot afford the service.
Kwese TV's entrance could significantly reduce the cost of accessing media alternatives.
Media surveys suggest that the majority of Zimbabweans still rely on the State-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) radio and television channels for news and information.
The State has, in recent years, issued radio licences to entities connected to the ruling party and government in a bid to provide a veneer of plurality.
Zimbabwe, with its one national television station, lags behind the rest of the continent in broadcasting plurality, despite being the second African country - after Nigeria - to see the introduction of a television service in 1960.
Television was only introduced in South Africa in 1976, nearly two decades after Zimbabwe.
Dr Dish argued in the application that Muganyura's actions without warning were a violation of the applicant's and ordinary Zimbabweans' freedom of expression and the media.
On the other hand, Muganyura said that Dr Dish was licenced at its own instance to provide My TV Africa content distribution service, before making an amendment to BosTV in terms of Section 15 of the Broadcasting Services Act (Chapter 12:06).
"On October 12, 2016, first respondent (Baz) served applicant (Dr Dish) with a letter requesting applicant to show cause why its licence should not be cancelled on the basis that applicant had ceased to provide the My TV Africa licenced service and had failed to pay licence fees for the past three years," Muganyura said.
Source - dailynews
