HARARE - Inhlanganiso yeMedia Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) ngoLwesibili yenze umkhosi wokunanza imisebenzi yentathelizindaba ngesikhathi kulungiselelwa usuku lweWorld Press Freedom Day.
Umkhosi weMISA lo uqhutshwe phansi kwesihloko esithi ‘Freedom of Expression as a Public Good: Pivotal to the Enjoyment of other Rights’.
Emkhosini lo abeMISA Zimbabwe bathe lanxa seyaguqulwa eminye imithetho ebikade incindezela imisebenzi yentathelizindaba, ikhona emitsha eyalungiswayo, efana lowe Cyber and Data Protection Act, elakho ukuba ngumgoqo ekusebenzeni kwentathelizndaba eZimbabwe.
Abenhlanganiso ezitshiyeneyo ezilwela ilungelo lentathelizindaba bathi lonyaka zibe nganeno izehlakalo zokuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba elizweni.
Isiphathamandla senhlanganiso yamalungelo entathelizindaba eyeMedia Institute of Southern Africa, uNqaba Matshazi, uthi lanxa sekunganeno ukuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba elizweni, kunengi okusamele kwenziwe.
“Kodwa asikwazi ukuthi siyangaphi ngoba esikwaziyo eZimbabwe kakhulu ngoba nxa kulenhlelo zokhetho siyabona ukuthi amaMedia Violations ayaqalisa kakhulu, so esingathi ngesilungu yipre-emptive measures ukuthi abantu bengabotshwa, bengatshaywa beyekelwe besenza umsebenzi wabo. Ngilethemba abantu abasoze bebotshwe, abasoze betshaywe singakhuluma khathesi ngingazi okuzayenzakala phambili.”
Lokhu kusekelwe nguNkosazana Dlamini, intathelizindaba esebenza izimele.
“Besesikhangela njalo futhi eceleni ukuthi kunoma kulaleyo mizamo kodwa siyabona nje abafana abesipholiseni abalezikhundla zasphansi bayaqhubeka behlukuluza intathelizindaba okutshengisela ukuthi ngezinye indlela ilizwi kalifiki ebafaneni laba, laba abasebenza bephansi esingathi ngama-operatives, amaConstable lama Sergeants. Kodwa yebo siyakubona bayazama kodwa kuphinde futhi kwehlulekwe njalo nxa sokuphansi.”
Unobhala wenhlanganiso elawula umsebenzi wentathelizindaba, eyeZimbabwe Media Commission, uGodwin Phiri, uthi kunengi osekuguqulwe nguhulumende nxa kuqathaniswa leminyaka edluleyo.
“Kumele singezelele ukuzwisisana kuma communities ethu, ngibona angani imithetho ingabe isilungile yebo kodwa ama-communities ethu lawo kumele afike kulelobanga azwisise ukuthi sizama ukuphromotha i-tolerance, sizama ukuphromotha ukukhulumisana kuhle, ama-journalists nxa esemsebenzini awahlonitshwe, ama-communities ethu kumele sifike njalo khonapho. Siyathokoza kakhulu ukuthi amapholisa asetshengisile labo isifiso sokusebenzelana lama-journalists befeza lowo msebenzi ukuthi ama-journalists akhululeke abe protected nxa esenza umsebenzi wabo.”
Isikhulumeli samapholisa uAssistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi uyakusekela lokhu. Uthi ukuxoxisana phakathi kwenhlangothi ezitshiyeneyo yiyo kuphela indlela yokululungisisa loludaba.
“Ngesikhiwa sitsho ukuthi sonke sisebenza sikhangele i-one constituency, i-public, uzulu. Ukukhulumisana kwenza ukuthi sisebenze sonke ndawonye, sisebenze kuhle loba kungaba lama-challenges siyabambana sonke siyenze lokhuyana esithi thina yi-engagement.”
UNkosikazi Esther Nyathi, ummeli weMatebeleland South edale lephalamende njalo olilunga lekhomidi ebona ngezokukhitshwa kwemibiko i-Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, uthi umsebenzi wokwethulwa kolwazi lentathelizindaba sekulethe inguquko enkulu kuzulu ikakhulu owasemaphandleni.
“Isikhathi esinengi abantu bebekhala ngokuthi nxa umuntu engaba lomonakalo ekhaya lakhe esabe ukuthi abantu abanjengama journalists babuye ekhaya lakhe bezobuzisisa ukuthi kungabe kwenzakaleni ancediseke. Kodwa lamuhla nge-information esihamba ilizwe lonke umuntu wonke usefisa ukuthi nxa kuyikuthi kungenzakala loba yilutho esigabeni athole abantu abangaluthatha lolodaba balufake kumphakathi wonke umuntu akwazi ukuthi esigabeni esinje kwenzakale lokhu nxa kukuhle bakukope nxa kukubi kukhuzwe.”