Judgment No. CCZ 9/2016 18 Const. Application No. CCZ 316/2012 obligation. The obligation is separate and precedent to the proceeds. The authorization of any agent by the Legislature to collect the proceeds of the performance of the obligation to pay the money is a matter that cannot be prevented by any legal decision. The Legislature, with full power over the subject of taxation, short of arbitrary and unreasonable action which is not to be assumed, inserted these provisions on payment of the revenue into the general funds operated by the ZBC in an Act specifically providing for the raising of revenue. It is sufficient for determination of the question of their validity that these provisions have a reasonable relation to the exercise by the Legislature of the taxing power conferred on it by the Constitution. It must follow that the ZBC is required to use the revenue to meet its obligations in the performance of its functions as a public broadcaster. The revenue raised from compulsory payment of the money is to be used in the provision of broadcasting services in the public interest. The ZBC is required under Part 1 of the Seventh Schedule to the Act to make programmes available to Zimbabweans in all the languages commonly used in Zimbabwe. One of the purposes of providing public broadcasting services is to meet the needs of the unserved sections of the population. The ZBC said that the revenue collected from members of the public as listener’s licence fees is used for the benefit of the public. It revealed that the money is channeled towards ensuring that all parts of the country have access to television and radio programmes that meet the interests of different classes of society.

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