Uhulumende weZimbabwe ukhuthazwa ukuthi athathe amanyathelo aqinileyo okuvikela ukusebenza kwentathelizindaba zikhululekile.
Lesi sicelo siza ngesikhathi eleZimbabwe limanyane lamanye amazwe emhlabeni jikelele ukunanza usuku olwe-International Day of Democracy.
Abenhlanganiso ezitshiyeneyo, uzulu kanye lazo intathelizindaba bathi lolusuku olunanzwa mhlaka 15 Mpandula minyaka yonke lunikeza ithuba lokuthi kukhangelwe isimo sokulondolozwa kwentando kazulu eZimbabwe, kuzwekazi leAfrica kanye lasemhlabeni jikelele.
EZimbabwe luza ngesikhathi izehlakalo zokuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba nguhulumende labezombusazwe bamabandla aphikisayo, kuqhubekela phambili.
UMnu. Tafadzwa Chigandiwa, intathelizindaba esebenza izimele, usola indlela uhulumende aphatha ngayo udaba lokuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba nxa kukhangelwa izehlakalo ezisanda kuba khona kunsukwana ezisanda kwedlula.
“Ikakhulu sikhangelane lokhetho olukhona olwe-presidential election olukhona ngomnyaka ozayo, sikhangela i-theme yalonyaka ekhuluma nge-protection of the press, leyonto yinto engekho eZimbabwe.”
Ukhuthaza abamabandla ezombusazwe ukuba ehlukane lomkhuba wokuhlukumeza intathelizindaba lapho zithe zaya emihlanganweni yazo, ziyekelwe ziqhube umsebenzi wazo zikhululekile.
“Ngoba yibo abahambisa ilizwi eliyabe likhulunyiwe yibo bonalaba abangama-politician njalo abayibo abakhokhela ilizwe leli, yibo abakwanisa ukuthatha okukhulunywe ngabakhokheli bekuhambisa kuma-citizens. So, besicela ukuthi umsebenzi wabo uqakathekiswe kakhulu.”
Lolusuku luza njalo ngesikhathi bevalelwe abameli bezigaba ababili, uMnu. Job Sikhala loMnu. Gogfery Sithole, kanye labanye abalitshumi lane ababotshwa eNyatsime besetheswa umlandu wokutshotshozela udlakela esililweni somunye wabalandeli bebandla leCitizens Coalition for Change, uNkosikazi Moreblessing Ali.
Lokhu beqhubeka bevalelwe abeCCC laba bencitshwa ithuba lokuhlawulela isibambiso sebail okuyinto esolwa kakhulu zingcwethi kwezombusazwe zisithi kuphambana lalokho okumelwa yilolusuku njengoba behlukunyezwa lokubotshwa labo abakhuluma okuphambana lokufunwa nguhulumende.
UMnu. Bekezela Gumbo, owenhlanganiso ebona ngokulondolozwa kwentando kazulu, eyeZimbabwe Democracy Institute, uthi lanxa isisekelo sombuso sivumela umuntu ukuthi aveze imibono yakhe, akula nkululeko ngemva kwalokho.
Kulentathelizindaba ezine zenkampani yeTechmag TV - ezigoqela uTongai Mwenje, Toneo Rutsito, Pellagia Mpurwa loChelsea Mashayamombe - ezitshaywe kabuhlungu ngabacatshangelwa ukuba ngabalandeli bebandla elibusayo leZanu PF ngesikhathi zisemsebenzini emhlanganweni wabe Citizens Coalition for Change, wokudinga usekelo eGokwe Kabuyuni lapho uToneo watshaywa wakhumuka izinyo.
Kulezinye ezimbili njalo uRuvimbo Muchenje, owephephandaba leThe NewsHawks loNunurai Jena oweStudio 7, abahlukunyezwe ngabezomvikela bebandla leCCC emhlanganwenii owenzelwe eChinhoyi ngempelasonto edluleyo.
Kulentathelizindaba njalo ezathunyelwa imibiko kunyanga edlule zikhunjuzwa ukuthi zilobe kanjani indaba zazo ngababezithi basebenzisana loMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Imizamo yokuxhumana lonobhala wogatsha lwezokukhitshwa kwemibiko umnumzana Nick Mangwana yehlule njengoba ubengakayiphenduli imibuzo ayithunyelwe ngendlela yebulenjini engaphenduli imbuzo ethunyelwe enkundleni yokuxhumana eyeWhatsapp njalo locingo lwakhe lungasatshelwa.
Lonyaka leli langa linanzwa phansi kwendikimba ethi – Protecting Press Freedom for Democracy.