The issue was raised at an advocacy workshop recently, where the creatives described years of exclusion, neglect and uncertainty surrounding the levy. “For years our voices as creatives have been drowned in silence,” said Botswana Musicians Union’s acting president, Papie Rakhudu. “For years our rights have been kept from us while poverty, hunger and despair continue to haunt our community.” Artists, who are its rightful beneficiaries, stressed that LTDF is not government funds, nor a discriminating grant.
“The levy on technical devices fund is not a favour, it is justice owed,” he added. The LTDF, also referred to as the blank media levy, is generated from levies imposed on devices used to store and reproduce creative works. According to the creatives, the fund is estimated to generate close to P30 million annually, yet many artists say they have never benefitted.
“What is this LTDF really? Who is benefiting from this? asked one musician.
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He added, “We only have the laws. We don’t have requirements. Accessing this fund is always something else.” Regional comparisons featured from Malawi’s model, where a similar levy has been in place since 2016.
In Malawi, funds are collected by the revenue authority with up to 80% distributed directly to artists through a collecting society. “Lives of many artists have changed because of this and people who never thought they would build houses now,” the artist said.
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