Intathelizindaba ze-Zimbabwe ikakhulu lezo ezisebenzi zizimele zithi zikhathazekile ngokwephulwa kwelungelo lazo lapho zisebenzi njalo zihlukunyezwa nguhulumende lamabandla ezombusazwe aphikisayo.
Lokhu kuphume emkhosini owenzelwe eBronte Hotel eHarare, wokunanza usuku olwe International Day to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists oqoqwe ngokusebenzisana kwabe Media Alliance in Zimbabwe - MAZ labe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation - UNESCO.
Emazwini afundwe ngumqondisi wohlangothi olubona ngezentathelizindaba ezisebenzela amanye amazwe uDr Ivanhoe Gurira emele uNkosikazi Monica Mutsvangwa, umpathintambo wezokwethulwa kwemibiko, uthi bazimisele ukubona ukuthi imithetho ekhona elizweni iyazilondoloza sikhathi sonke intathelizindaba lapho ziqhuba umsebenzi wazo. Uthi kodwa kumele lazo zilandele leyo mithetho.
“Ukuba khona kohlangothi lwezokuthapha izindaba okukhululekileyo akutsho ukuba intathelizindaba sezizovunyelwa ukwenza santando, zisephula umthetho, kodwa kumele ziwuhloniphe lowo mthetho wona owenziwa ngendlela yokuzilondoloza.”
Isiphathamandla senhlanganiso elawula ukusebenza kwentathelizindaba eye Media Institute of Southern Africa - MISA Zimbabwe, u Nqaba Matshazi ulandisa kabanzi ngokuqakatheka kwalolusuku.
“Ukwenza umsebenzi kwentathelizindaba akusilo cala, siyabe sizama lathi ukuthi njengentathelizindaba zingezelele ku-accountability le-transparency ukwenzela ukuthi amazwe ethi athuthuke, yikho okuqakathekileyo khona lokhu. ngokubona kwethu, ele Zimbabwe ngelinye lamazwe elingaphathi kuhle intathelizindaba. Sesibonile i-Zimbabwe ukuthi ngelinye elamazwe ahlukumeza ama-journalists kakhulu.”
Uqhubeke elandisa ngezinye zezehlakalo esezithe zaba khona eZimbabawe lakwamanye amazwe asemhlubulweni wangezansi yezwekazi le Africa uMatshazi, zokuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba kodwa engekho obotshwayo.
“Kakhulu ngingakhuluma ngendaba eke yaduma ngomnyaka ophelileyo ka Tawanda Muchehiwa okuthiwa wathunjwa ngabantu esithi ngama-Security Agents, lalamuhla nje akulamuntu osethe wabotshwa kumbe wabuzwa ngamapholisa ukuthi indaba kaTawanda ihamba njani. Siyathola ukuthi eMozambique kulo Ibraimo Mbaruco, osesiyakwanisa 19-months wacatsha kodwa asizwa lutho olukhulunywa ngaye. lamapholisa aphendla indaba yankhona abatsho lutho. E-Tanzania kulendaba ka Azory Gwanda, osekwanise iminyaka emine, engaziwa ukuthi waqondaphi. Ngo 2019, ilizwe lathi hayi, kutsho ukuthi sewafa kodwa lalamuhlanje asikaboni isidumbu sakhe and abantu kabaphendli amapholisa ukuthi bephendle ukuthi kanti kwenzakalani ngempilo yakhe”
Isikhulumeli senhlangainso yentahtelizindaba ezisakhulayo eye Young Journalists Association in Zimbabwe - YOJA u-Leopold Munhende uthi imikhosi enje inika intathelizindaba ithuba lokukhulumisana lamapholisa ukuba azwisise ukuthi zisebenza njani.
“Ilanga leli liqakatheke kakhulu ngoba lisinika lathi ithuba lokukhumbula osekwenzakele kithi njengentathelizindaba ikakhulu sisezandleni zamapholisa lamasotsha. Njalo lisinika ithuba elokuthi sikhangele ukuthi ingxoxo esesike saba lazo lamapholisa, sesingaphi ngazo?. Sesilesikhathi sikhuluma lesikhulumeli samapholisa uAssistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, laye uyathembisa sibili ukuthi uzalungisisa udaba lolu ngoba sesilentathelizindaba ezinengi kakhulu ezitshaywayo lezibotshwayo.”
UMunhende uthi ufisa ngabe ziyahlolisiswa izehlakalo zokuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba ikakhulu ezandleni zabomthetho.
“Kumaviki la amabili la adluleyo kumbe sokubotshwe intathelizindaba ezingafika ezinhlanu sibili. So, sithemba ukuthi ilanga elinje, lingenza ukuthi laye uhulumende lengatsha zakhe, zingabona ukuthi into abazenzayo, azilunganga njalo sekuyisikhathi esokuthi beqale ukubopha lokubophisa wonke ongahloniphi ikakhulu amalungelo entathelizindaba. Ngingakhohlwa kumbe ngingadeleli abanye abala malungelo abo.”
Kodwa isikhulumeli samapholisa uAssistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi uthi bazimisele njengohlangothi ukulondoloza intathelizindaba lapho ziqhuba imisebenzi wazo.
“Sizoqhubeka siwalondoloza amalungelo entathelizindaba. Lapho okudalwe khona icala kuqondiswe kuntathelizindaba, yanini mangala njalo lisitsho usuku lwakhona, isikhathi lalapho lelocala lidalelwe khona.”
Uhulumende uthi eleZimbabwe linganeno kwezokuhlukunyezwa kwentathelizindaba njengoba bengekho asebethe babulawa njengalokho okwenzakala kwamanye amazwe.
Lolu suku lwahlelwa ngabenhlanganiso yomanyano wamazwe womhlaba eye United Nations ukuthi lunanzwe minyaka yonke mhla ka 2 Lwezi. Linhlanganiso ibika ukuba kusukela ngomnyaka ka2006 kusiya fika u2020, kulentathelizindaba ezedlula inkulungwane eyodwa-1,200, ababulawa besemsebenzini kodwa inengi labababulalayo abazange babotshwe.
