THE Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has taken regulatory action against four broadcasting stations for continuing to air religious and traditional healer programmes that mislead the public, promote superstition, and exploit the emotional and financial vulnerabilities of audiences.
The airing of such programmes was found to be in violation of the Authority’s advisory issued on May 23, 2025.
IBA corporate communications director Katendi Wandi stated in a release that the four non-compliant stations have been instructed to immediately review their content and suspend all misleading religious or traditional healer programmes that have not undergone proper editorial scrutiny.
The stations were also ordered to cease broadcasting content featuring individuals making unverifiable, misleading, or fear-inducing claims “The IBA reiterates that broadcasting content promoting claims such as ‘magic money, bringing back lost lovers, miraculous healing, or guaranteed job opportunities constitutes a breach of the IBA Act, relevant licensing conditions, and the Authority’s Standard Operating Procedures (Section 4.2.6).
Such content undermines public trust, exploits audience vulnerabilities, and violates the ethical standards expected of licensed broadcasters, “broadcast stations that failure to comply with these directives could lead to regulatory sanctions, as outlined in the Guidelines for Handling and Enforcement of Compliance Breaches.
Ms Wandi affirmed that the IBA remains committed to promoting responsible broadcasting that upholds public trust and ensures that media platforms serve as credible sources of information and education.
This enforcement action follows closely on the heels of a recent decision by the IBA board to suspend the licenses of five radio stations and two television stations for failure to pay the 2025 Annual Operating Fees.