By Ziyah News Reporter
The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has urged all broadcasters to cease the airing of advertisements related to churches, traditional healers, and unverified traditional herbs and medicines.
This directive aims to protect consumers from misleading information and ensure that advertising content is credible and trustworthy.
In a notice, BAZ emphasized that the prohibition aligns with its mandate to safeguard the public’s interests.
The notice cites specific regulations, including Section 23 (a) & (b) of the Broadcasting Services (Code of Conduct for Broadcasters) Regulations, 2023, as well as Section 27(4)(e) of the Broadcasting Services (Licensing and Content) Regulations, 2004, which together restrict such advertising.
Broadcasters are instructed to discontinue any advertising content related to the aforementioned subjects, which the Authority considers unverifiable and potentially misleading to the audience.
However, BAZ clarified that this directive does not extend to discussion programs or debates that may address these topics, provided they do not include advertising content.
This initiative seeks to ensure that consumers receive reliable information and are not subjected to unverified claims that could jeopardize their well-being. Broadcasters are urged to comply with these regulations to foster transparency and maintain public trust in their programming.