Zimbabwean churches will now seek licenses for music played during service

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - The Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA) has said churches must obtain copyright licences for the copyrighted music they sing during services, stressing that using other people’s songs without permission amounts to copyright infringement.

The message was delivered by ZIMURA spokesperson Alexio Gwenzi during an interview with Oscar Pambuka on Burning Issues, which premiered on 15 September 2025 on earGROUND  TV. Gwenzi explained that churches, cover bands and venues fall under “music users” who are required by law to secure licences before performing or playing copyrighted material.

“If you are an organisation, whatever organisation that you are, if you are going to perform another person’s intellectual property, you are infringing on their copyright and you should pay for it,” Gwenzi said. He added that some large churches already hold licences, citing Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s UFIC church as an example.

Gwenzi emphasised that ZIMURA is a non-profit collective management organisation responsible for licensing music users and distributing royalties to composers and publishers. He said the association operates under the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act [Chapter 26:05], which provides the legal framework for copyright in Zimbabwe.

“We license any business that is using music to push their business… broadcasters, hotels, lodges, restaurants, boutiques and television stations. Anyone who uses music,” Gwenzi said, noting that membership currently stands at about 5,000 creators.

The spokesperson also addressed the controversy surrounding ZIMURA’s cover band tariff. Earlier in 2025, the association introduced a US$150 (R2,604) per-show composers’ fee for bands that perform mostly other artists’ songs. Gwenzi defended the fee, arguing that bands earning as much as US$2,000 (R34,735) per night could afford it. However, the Ministry of Justice suspended the tariff in April pending review.

“We create tariffs and deposit them with the Ministry… once stamped, we implement,” Gwenzi said, while refusing to disclose the names of top-earning bands.

On the issue of churches, Gwenzi said fees typically range between US$30–US$100 (R521–R1,736), depending on the size of the organisation and the extent of music use. He also highlighted benefits for artists who register with ZIMURA, including funeral cover, incapacitation allowances, and a support figure of US$500 (R8,679) agreed by members. Registration costs US$20 (R347).

Turning to royalties, Gwenzi explained: “We pay for usage of music. If your music is not being used, you can’t get anything.” He said historical radio play rates stood between 7–12 cents per spin, and one of the highest earners recently received about US$5,000 (R86,787) in a distribution round.

The interview also touched on ZIMURA’s leadership, with Gwenzi confirming that Polisile Ncube-Chimhini remains Chief Executive despite appealing a fraud conviction handed down in late June 2025. Court records show she was acquitted of forgery but convicted of fraud, with the appeal process ongoing.