by Thinus Ferreira
False information that the SABC has introduced an annual SABC Car radio licence fee of R401 which comes with a penalty fine of R750 or 90 days in jail is devoid of any truth and has been denied by the South African public broadcaster.
On social media on Monday South African users started circulating a bogus "press statement", purportedly from the SABC, claiming that the SABC was "pleased to announce the introduction of the new SABC Car radio licence".
The fake one page press statement was created using the real SABC logo, as well as name and contact details of an SABC spokesperson.
The fake statement said that since "the SABC has seen a dramatic decline in TV licence revenue due to streaming services such as Netflix becoming ever more popular, we as the SABC therefore had to look at new revenue streams".
Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, whose name was used in the fake press statement, on Monday told me that no radio licence has been or will be introduced.
"The SABC would like to alert the public of a fake media statement which is circulating on various social media platforms titled 'Introduction of radio licences as part of SABC's drive to generate revenue'. The SABC has not issued any media statement making such public pronouncements regarding licences for car radios," the SABC said.
Tellingly, the fake statement said that a SABC Car radio licence would cost R401 per year - more expensive than the R265 of a SABC TV Licence.
Radio licences were issued in South Africa for a while since 1924 but the practice was abandoned decades ago in favour of a general SABC TV Licence.
Instead of introducing a new licence like a car radio licence, the SABC is currently working with the department of communications to do away with the SABC TV Licence fee with plans to replace it with a new tax in the form of a new household levy.
Instead of the SABC having to collect a SABC TV licence fee which few TV households still bother to pay, the government and the broadcaster want to replace it with a general household levy which will be collected to fund public broadcasting in the country.
