Open letter tonPresident Mnangagwa over Radio Licence fee

His Excellency,
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe,
Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa,
Office of the President and Cabinet,
Munhumutapa Building,
Harare, Zimbabwe.

Your Excellency Sir,

Subject: Objection to the Recently Imposed $92 Radio Licence Fee on Vehicle Owners

I write this letter as a concerned and patriotic citizen to express my deep objection and disappointment regarding the recent imposition of a $92 radio licence fee on all vehicle owners in Zimbabwe.

This move, coming barely a week after a new fuel tax was introduced, reflects an increasing trend of burdening ordinary citizens with financial obligations while exempting government officials and civil servants from similar responsibilities. It is widely known that most government employees, especially those in high offices, import vehicles duty-free an opportunity denied to the ordinary citizen who pays full duty, VAT and other fees on vehicle importation.

Furthermore, the justification for such a licence is both flawed and discriminatory. While your ministers and senior officials enjoy access to satellite television (DSTV), the rest of Zimbabwe is expected to fund a state broadcaster (ZBC) which continues to fall short of public expectations in terms of content, objectivity, and national service.

It is also deeply troubling that your government awarded each cabinet member and senior official a $14,000 solar installation package, paid for by the taxpayer, at a time when the majority of Zimbabweans suffer persistent power cuts and cannot afford basic energy solutions for their homes and small businesses.

Your Excellency, this level of taxation, inequality in benefits, and disregard for the daily struggles of the average citizen undermines public trust in your administration. As vehicle owners, we already face extreme costs through fuel levies, toll fees, road licences and maintenance on poorly serviced roads.

I therefore call upon your office to:

Immediately review and suspend the $92 radio licence fee pending national consultation.

Address the glaring inequalities in tax burdens between public officials and ordinary citizens.

Ensure that public media services are accountable, objective and worthy of national financial support.

Reassess the recent fuel tax to prevent deepening the economic hardship facing Zimbabweans.

The social contract between a government and its people is built on fairness, transparency, and mutual responsibility. I urge you to reconsider these policies and to lead a government that listens to its people and acts in their best interest.

If you need me to explain further you can contact me on +263772278161

Yours faithfully,

Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi