GABORONE -- Abaphila ngokuthenga lokuthengisa ngaphandle kwelizwe kanye labacubungula ngezomnotho batshayela ihlombe ohulumende bamazwe amane asemhlubulweni wangezansi kwezwekazi leAfrica, agoqela eleZimbabwe, ngokwesula inhlawulo yokusebenzisa umakhalekhukwhini uma umuntu ephandle kwelizwe, i-roaming fees.
Amazwe abalisa iZimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi kanye leZambia zibike ukuthi sekuzayesulwa inhlawulo uma umuntu esebenzisa umakhala ekhukhwini engekho elizweni lakhe- iroaming fee.
Iroaming fee okuyihlawulo uma umuntu esebenzisa umakhala ekhukhwini ngenombolo yakhe kodwa engekho elizweni ahlala kilo.
Inhlawulo le ilimaza kakhulu abavakatshayo kumbe abaqhuba ibhizimusi phakathi kwamazwe atshiyeneyo emhlubulweni wangezansi kwezwekazi leAfrica.
Umgcinisihlalo wenhlanganiso wabaphila ngokuthengisa eyeBulawayo Vendors and Traders Association, umnunzana Michael Ndiweni, uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi kususwe lenhlawulo ukuze kwenze imsebenzi yabo ibe lula.
“Abantu abanengi abachapha imngcele kade becina bethenga ama sim card awakwamazwe abavakatshelayo. Kodwa khathesi sekuzabalula ukuthi bakhulumisane labayenza ibhizimusi yabo, kanye lokuthi baxoxisane lemuli zabo uma bephumile elizweni.”
UNdiweni uqhubeke esithi isifiso yikuthi ukusebenzelana phakathi kwamazwe kungafika lakuzinga lokuthi kusentshenziswe incwadi yephasiphothi eyodwa emazweni angomakhelwane.
“Kungathi bangaya phambili balungise udaba lwephasiphothi ukuthi kube lephasiphothi eyodwa eSADC, ukuze abantu bazihambele bekhululekile.”
OweZimbabwe okubhizimusi kweleBotswana, njalo ehamba kakhulu phakathi kwamazwe afana leSouth Africa kanye leNamibia, umnunzana Faiton Sibanda, laye ulamukele inyathela lokwesula inhlawulo.
“Kuzakwenza ukuthi ukuxoxa kwethu, njengezimuli kanye labamabhizimusi, kube lula. Sihamba amazwe amanengi sicine sithenga ama sim card, kodwa uma kungaselanhlawulo kuzwakubangcono kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni ibhizimusi.”
USibanda uthi kuqala ngento ezifana lokwesula inhlawulo ye roaming, ukuthi kube lontshintsho ekubambaniseni izwekazi leAfrica.
“Yikho esikufunayo, okutshengisa ukuthi iAfrica iyafisa ukuqhuba inhlelo zokubambana. Kuqala ngokucane kanje. Siyababongela labo abavumeleneyo ngalokhu. Yikho okungasihambisa kuzwekazi elebambeneyo.”
Inyathela lokuthi amazwe amane la akumanyano wamazwe angezansi kweAfrica oweSouthern Africa Development Community (SADC) akhiphe inhlawulo zokusebenzisa umakhale khukhwini kwamanye amazwe, libonwa njenge ndlela yokuqinisa iphupho lokubambana kulumhlubulo- ele regional intergration.
Njalo abacubungula ezomnotho bathi lokhu kuzathuthukisa abamabhizimusi ikakhulu abasacathulayo, okuyibo abalimala kakhulu ngenhlawulo ezikhona.
Uphenyo olwenziwa yinhlanganiso yezokuthengiselana emhlabeni jikelele, eye World Trade Organisation luveza ukuthi ukusebenzisa umakhal’ekhukhwini emhlubulweni we SADC kuyadula uma kuqathaniswa lezinye indawo.
Lokhu kufaka imigoqo kunhloso yokuthuthukisa ezamabhizimusi kanye lokuqinisa ubudlelwano bokuhambelana kwabantu phakathi kwamazwe.
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Udaba lokwesulwa kwendleko yeroaming charges siluphiwa nguMqondisi Dube