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Mercy Bofu Entertainment Reporter
MUSIC and Visual Anti-Piracy Organisation of Zimbabwe has launched a blitz targeting vendors who sell pirated CDs and DVDs.
So far 15 people have been arrested during the clampdown after they were found in possession of pirated discs, memory cards as well as T-flashes.
Operations manager Dickson Nhema said the raids started last week and would continue in the coming few weeks.
“So far 15 people have been arrested for selling pirated material and the rest were found loading music through laptops and their machines were confiscated to serve as exhibits in court,” said Nhema.

Before the clampdown, other operations have been conducted outside the CBD and many people have been arrested and fined.
Eight people were charged and fined US$300 each in Chitungwiza, another six people paid admission of guilty fines of US$150 each in Mabvuku while in Waterfalls two people were asked to perform 210 hours of community service.

One of the vendors is Grey Muremba, who was found in possession of 974 pirated discs.
Nhema warned people to desist from pirating CDs or DVDs. He said the pirate operators were using disabled people to sell pirated discs and pornographic material especially at Copacabana terminus.

“We are arresting anyone found in possession of pirated material, including the disabled,” Nhema said.
The anti-piracy campaign is appealing to the public to buy original discs to promote Zimbabwean music.

“Now the prices for those original discs have been reduced to US$1 they are now affordable to the public but they still prefer pirated material which costs US$1 for three or four copies,” he said.

The anti-piracy campaign expressed gratitude to Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Webster Shamu and Officer Commanding ZRP Licensing Inspectorate Joel Tenderere and his team for supporting them during these campaigns.

They also appealed to the public to help them fight piracy by reporting those culprits to the police and desisting from buying pirated music.