Kulentathelizindaba ezithi azikakhululeki kangako eZimbabwe ekuthapheni indaba ngoba akukacaci ukwesulwa kwemithetho enjenge Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Ezinye intathelizindaba labanye abenza umsebenzi ofanayo bathi kusekude phambili ukuze kube lokukhululeka elizweni ekuthapheni indaba. Bathi kumele uhulumende alungise ngokugcweleyo ukwesulwa komthetho ovimba ukuthatshwa kwendaba oweAccess to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Kukhangelelwe ukuthi kuzalungiswa imithetho emithathu ezangena esikhexeni seAIPPA enjenge Freedom of Information Bill,Protection of Personal Information Bill leZimbabwe Media Commission Bill. Kulabanye njalo abathi selidumela emansumpeni ukuthi kube lemithetho ezakwenza intathelizindaba zikhululeke ekuthapheni indaba. Omunye wabalombono lo nguMnu. Kucaca Phulu, omele iNkulumane edale lephalamende njalo oyingcwethi kwezemithetho yokuthapha indaba.
“Nxa sikhangele ama media reforms eZimbabwe ngibona angazani sesihambe ibanga elikhulu. Liyakhumbula ngesikhathi kungavunyelwa ukuthi kube lamaradio stations. Okwakhathesi ke I AIPPA ilokhu ikhona ayikakhitshwa emthethweni kodwa iParliament ibisidlulise ngibona angazani ama act amabili ukuthi asayinwe nguPresident okokuthi ama journalist ayabe ese accesser information okungcon.”
UPhulu uthi kukhona okunye njalo okuqakathekileyo okumele kuguquke ukuze intathelizindaba zisebenze kahle.
“Okuqakathekileyo yikuthi iconstitution yethu yafaka ama media rights, ngoba siyakwazi kuqala kwakungela ama media rights. Icourt yayikusebenzisa khonalokhu ukuthi incitshe ama journalist ukuthi ayenze imsebenzi yawo. Ngifuna ukuthi ngithi mina i-legal reform ayisiyo yodwa into eqakathekileyo, kuqakathekile njalo ukuthi kube le institutional reform okutsho ukuthi indlela inhlanganiso zikahulumende ezisebenza ngayo, indlela amapholisa asebenzangayo lama minister asebenza ngayo kumele iguquke ukwenzela ukuthi ama journalist enelise ukusebenza ngcono.”
Kodwa uMnu. Zenzele Ndebele, umqondisi weCentre for Innovation and Technology, uthi ukuguqulwa kwemithetho kungeminye yemizamo kahulumende eyokweboleka imali kwamanye amazwe.
“Ngibona angani uhulumende wenza ama reforms lawa athe uzawenza nxa sikhangele kakhulu ezemsakazo lezamaphepha ndaba lokhu kungenxa yokuthi uhulumende udesprate for uncedo oluvela kwamanye amazwe. Babona angani mhlawumbe bangayenza ama-reforms lawa bazaba sesimeni sokuthi bangabolekwa imali. I think they lose nothing ngokwenza ama reforms because bayakwazi ukuthi inkinga ebhekane labantu bemsakazo lama newspaper ngingathi yi-viability abantu abala mali yokuthenga amanewspaper, so noma amanewspaper lawa lemsakazo bengaphiwa amalicence eminengi yakhona izavala ngenxa yokushota kwama business or advertising.’’
Lokhu kusekelwa nguMnu. Lungile Tshuma, ofundisa intathelizindaba, othi inguquko ekhulunywa nguhulumende ekuthapheni indaba iphelela emoyeni.
“Ama media reforms lawa abatshona bekhuluma ngawo kawakho, yize neze aphelela emlonyeni yabo. Ngokuya kwesimo sesizwe nxa sikhangele amanye amazwe jikelele, okwamanje sikhangela iSouth Africa even iKenya, amacommunity media yiwo ahambisa umbiko weCOVID 19. EZimbabwe kwehlukene, imedia iphiwa abantu abasekela umbuso weZanu PF okwenza ukuthi nxa sesihlangane lohlupho olunjenge COVID 19 abantu basuke bathole uhlupho olukhulu ukuthi abazi ukuthi information bayithathe ngaphi.”
UTshuma uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi kube lemisakazo lamaphephandaba kazulu.
“Okumele kwenziwe yikuthi kumele ukuthi kube le decentralization abantu ngezigaba lezigaba babe lemedia yabo, its either baphiwa amaradio station kumbe amacommunity newspapers ukwenzela ukuthi bazithuthukise. Ngakho-ke nxa kunje sokumele sibuyele back kudrawing board sibone ukuthi nxa kunje kumele sithuthukise indaba ye-community media ukwenzela ukuthi izigabalezigaba zithuthuke, sitshiye into yokukhuluma ngento engekhoyo about ama media laws ama media reforms ngoba vele awakho. Abantu bahlala bekhuluma ngawo ukuthi there must be formed igovernment isala ngoba khathesi sebefake abantu enkingeni nxa sikhuluma ngendaba leyi yeCOVID 19.”
Oyintathelizindaba njalo engumqondisi weDigital Content Creators Alliance, uMnu. Nkosikhona Dibiti, uthi kusesekhatshana ukukhululeka kwentathelizindaba.
“Sihlangana lenhlupho ezinengi nxa sikhangela iWorld Press Freedom Day eZimbabwe kunzima kakhulu ngoba masikhangela even indaba yeCOVID 19 kwathatha isikhathi ukuthi uhulumende avume ukuthi intathelizindaba ziqakathekile. Esizibuza khona yikuthi uhulumende uya recognizer yini umsebenzi wemedia and nxa kunjalo imedia inga reporter njani without fear or favour. Sibona amajournalists ebotshwa ngesikhathi bereporter yonaleyi iCoronavirus so ifreedom yemedia leye press isakhatshana kwela kithi uhambo lusasekhona.”
Abathapha indaba abanengi bathi kunzima ukuthakazelela usuku lwe-World Press Freedom Day ngenxa yokuthi bavinjwa yimithetho embalwa eZimbabwe.
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