It's fake: SABC won't impose car radio licence fees as claimed on Twitter

On Monday Twitter went into overdrive with a statement, purportedly from the SABC, saying that South African drivers would have to pay an annual R401 car radio licence fee.

It was part the SABC's efforts to make up for declining TV licence revenue, the statement read, and the fee applied to all South Africans who utilise vehicles with radios.

Failure to produce a car radio licence when instructed to by a police official could land you with a R750 fine or a 90-day jail term, continued the post, which appeared on an SABC letterhead.

After the post caused an uproar on social media, the SABC has confirmed it is fake, saying: "The South African Broadcasting Corporation (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."

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.