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Herald Reporter
Imports of television sets that are not digitally compliant should be banned as all services within Southern Africa will be digital by next year.
A parliamentary portfolio committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, chaired by Umzingwane MP Cde William Dhewa (Zanu-PF), recommended that it was not prudent to allow people to continue buying television receivers that used analogue as the region’s broadcasting equipment should have migrated to digital by next year

“All television viewing equipments in homes should be able to receive signal from the studio via transmitters.
“Households would need to set top boxes which allow the use of old analogue television sets or throwing away the same old analogue television sets for new ones with in-build in digital tunes,” said Mr Dhewa.

The committee bemoaned the lack of funding to ensure that Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation migrate to the digital platform.
Cde Dhewa also said there was need to realign media laws with the Constitution of Zimbabwe to avoid unnecessary legal battles.

Meanwhile, The Public Accountants and Auditors Amendment Bill was tabled before Parliament yesterday. Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister Samuel Undenge, read the Bill for the first time before Speaker of the National Assembly, Cde Jacob Mudenda, referred it to the Parliamentary Legal committee.

The Bill provides for the registration of public accountants and public auditors and establishes the Public Accountants and Auditors Board.
The Board would register and act as a regulatory body for public accountants and auditors and their representative bodies.

There was heated debate in the House when legislators failed to agree on a motion by Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC) calling for the amendment of the War Veterans Act.

Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said there was need to review the way of appointing heroes, adding that only those who assumed positions in Government had high chances of landing the national hero status.

This drew criticism from some Zanu-PF legislators who accused her of distorting what was happening.
Makoni South MP Cde Mandi Chimene (Zanu-PF), said members of the revolutionary party knew each other and those who deserved to be conferred with hero status.
Shamva South MP, Cde Joseph Mapiki, accused MDC-T MPs of seeking to be included in the conferment of hero status.