The digitalization project which is under the jurisdiction of the Broadcasting Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) and being rolled out by Transmedia brought so much excitement across the country but the flame has blown out due to red tape in the project implementation process.
The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting said the digitalisation project is still underway. However, the project has been delayed by a number of factors which include transactional challenges related to illegal sanctions. The sanctions have made it difficult for the country to pay its foreign equipment suppliers as all payments could be intercepted by US authorities. The country is also failing to acquire equipment like the technical monitoring system from Germany due to sanctions.
Said the Ministry, "Government wants to inform the public that the digitalisation project is still underway. However, the project has been delayed by a number of factors which include transactional challenges related to illegal sanctions. The illegal sanctions are derailing the project in 2 ways."
Government wants to inform the public that the digitalisation project is still underway. However, the project has been delayed by a number of factors which include transactional challenges related to illegal sanctions. The illegal sanctions are derailing the project in 2 ways pic.twitter.com/MCSt8B9q3c
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) November 14, 2018
It added, "Illegal sanctions have made it difficult for the country to pay its foreign equipment suppliers as all payments could be intercepted by US authorities. The country is also failing to acquire equipment like the technical monitoring system from Germany due to sanctions."
Illegal sanctions have made it difficult for the country to pay its foreign equipment suppliers as all payments could be intercepted by US authorities. The country is also failing to acquire equipment like the technical monitoring system from Germany due to sanctions.
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) November 14, 2018
Transmedia, a state owned company responsible for distributing radio and television signal services for broadcasters has faltered three times after receiving extended deadlines since November 2015.
The International Telecommunications Union later extended Zimbabwe's deadlines to catch up with the rest of the region but in all the instances, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe has failed to complete the digitalization project.
This has now left Zimbabwe being the only country within the SADC region to continue broadcasting using analogue airwaves while its counterparts such as South Africa, Botswana and Zambia have all managed to meet the deadlines.
Zimbabwe continues to trail behind its regional counterparts when it comes to intercepting next-generation technologies.
With the deadline having lapsed, Zimbabwe risk having its state broadcaster ZBC taken off the international airwaves by end of 2018 if the responsible authorities do not complete the digital migration project, according to ITU.
