Imithombo yezindaba e-Eswatini

I-Eswatini inohlelo olusunguliwe lwemithombo yezindaba oluhlanganisa ukusakaza, amaphephandaba, izinsiza zokusakaza eziku-inthanethi nezinkundla zokuxhumana. Izwe linezifunda ezine kanti abantu abaningi bahlala emaphandleni; cishe u-76% uhlala ezindaweni zasemaphandleni. Umsakazo usabalulekile: amasignali omsakazo afinyelela cishe ku-89% wemizi, kuyilapho u-46.7% wemizi unomsakazo. Amafoni aphathwayo ayindlela eyinhloko yokufinyelela olwazini oluku-inthanethi. Ngo-2024, ukusetshenziswa kwe-inthanethi kwakulinganiselwa ku-63.4%, ubunikazi befoni ephathekayo ku-83.6%, okubhaliselwe okusebenzayo kwe-broadband yeselula ku-116 kubantu abayi-100, nokusabalala kwe-LTE noma i-WiMAX ku-87%. Ukusabalala kwe-5G kwakucishe kube ngu-5%. Ngo-2024 i-ESCCOM yabala abahlinzeki bezinsiza ze-inthanethi abangu-21, opharetha beselula abathathu nabasakazi abahlanu. Yabika nokubhaliselwe kwe-broadband engaguquki okungu-38,828, okubhaliselwe kwe-broadband okungu-1,473,487 noxhumano lwama-smartphone angu-963,990. Ukusabalala kwe-inthanethi emizini kwakulinganiselwa ku-67% ngo-2022, kungu-70% emadolobheni no-63% emaphandleni. Ukufinyeleleka kwezindleko kuseyisithiyo esikhulu, futhi alikho inani elilodwa lamanje elisebenza kuzo zonke izinsiza. I-Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) ilawula ezokuxhumana, amalayisensi okusakaza, amaza, izindinganiso zokuqukethwe, izindaba zabathengi, ukuvikeleka ku-inthanethi nokuvikelwa kwedatha. UMnyango Wezokwazisa, Ezokuxhumana Nobuchwepheshe Bolwazi ubeka inqubomgomo kazwelonke yemithombo yezindaba nolwazi. I-Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) ne-Eswatini Television Authority (ESTVA) yizisakazi zombuso; kulungiselelwa ukuhlanganiswa kwazo ne-Eswatini Broadcasting Corporation ngaphansi kwe-Broadcasting Act 2023. I-University of Eswatini FM, i-Voice of the Church (VOC) ne-Q Channel Yemaswati nazo ziyizisakazi ezisunguliwe. I-Broadcasting Act 2023 ihlanganisa izinsiza zokusakaza zomphakathi, ezohwebo, zomphakathi wendawo, ezokubhalisa, ukuphathwa kokubhalisa, okuqukethwe okuku-inthanethi nezinsiza zokuhlanganisa okuqukethwe. Umsakazo, ithelevishini nezinsiza eziku-inthanethi kudinga amalayisensi, kanti ukusebenzisa amaza kudinga ilayisensi ehlukile. Ukusakaza komphakathi wendawo kuyindlela engenzi nzuzo yokubamba iqhaza kwendawo. Umfakisicelo akakwazi ukuba ngowabantu bakwamanye amazwe ngokuphelele; kumele ahlangabezane nezimfuneko zokufaneleka, angabi nokulahlwa yicala okufanele noma izintshisekelo ezingqubuzanayo emithonjeni yezindaba. Uma ivunyiwe, ilayisensi isebenza iminyaka engu-10. Amalungu omphakathi kufanele asize ekuqhubeni isevisi, okumele ibhekane namasiko, ulimi, ukwakheka kwabantu nezindaba zasemazingeni aphansi zendawo. Uhlelo lokugcina lwezimali lubala u-E1,500 wemali yesicelo no-E5,000 wokuqala wesevisi yomphakathi efinyelela ezweni lonke, kulandelwe imali yonyaka engu-E75,000 noma u-4.5% wemali engenayo, kanye no-1.5% we-Universal Service and Access Fund (UASF). Isicelo selayisensi yomsakazo we-FM wezohwebo ofinyelela ezweni lonke sibiza u-E5,000. Isimemo se-ESCCOM sezicelo zamalayisensi omsakazo nethelevishini yezohwebo neyomphakathi yamahhala sandiselwa ku-17 February 2026, kodwa kuze kube u-12 September 2026 akukho simemezelo esisemthethweni esiqinisekisiwe semiphumela yelayisensi. Imithetho yokuqukethwe kwasendaweni ngokuvamile idinga okungenani izimfuneko eziyisithupha kweziyisikhombisa ngaphansi kwe-Broadcasting Code. Lezi zihlanganisa ukusebenzisa isiSwati noma olunye ulimi olusemthethweni; ukukhiqiza nokwenza umsebenzi wangemva kokukhiqiza e-Eswatini; ukuhambisana nezidingo zendawo; okungenani u-50% wabalingisi abaphambili abangamaSwati, abalingisi abasekelayo noma ithimba lobuchwepheshe; ukuqopha e-Eswatini; umbhali ongumSwati; kanye nenkampani yokukhiqiza yase-Eswatini noma okungenani engu-50% ephethwe ngamaSwati. I-Broadcasting Code 2020, i-Broadcasting Guidelines 2017 ne-Content Guidelines 2022 kuqondisa ukuqapha nokuhambisana nemithetho. Amaphephandaba afaka i-Times of Eswatini, iphephandaba elidala kunawo wonke elisunguliwe ezweni, kanye ne-Eswatini Observer ephuma nsuku zonke, exhumene ne-Tibiyo Taka Ngwane. I-EBIS nayo inikeza ulwazi lombuso. Kukhona imithombo yezindaba ezimele ephrintiwe neye-inthanethi, kodwa ukuba nabanikazi abambalwa, ukuzithiba ekubikeni nengcindezi ehlobene nobukhosi kuthinta ukubika. Ku-World Press Freedom Index ka-2025, i-Eswatini yakleliswa endaweni yama-98 emazweni angu-180 ngamanani angu-52.86. I-Afrobarometer yabika ukuthi u-26% wabaphenduli babebheka imithombo yezindaba njengekhululekile kancane noma ngokuphelele, kuyilapho u-71% engavumanga; u-67% wasekela indima yokugada kwezenzakalo kwemithombo yezindaba kanti u-72% wawufuna ukhululeke ethonyeni likahulumeni. Izinsiza zokusakaza zitholakala ikakhulukazi kumasevisi aphesheya aku-inthanethi afana ne-Netflix ne-Showmax. Lezi zinsiza zidinga uxhumano lwe-inthanethi oluzinzile, futhi kubikwe ukuthi ngaphezu kuka-70% wokuqukethwe okusetshenziswa ku-inthanethi ngo-2025 kwakuvela kumaseva angaphandle. Ubufakazi obutholakalayo abuqinisekisi umhlinzeki wasendaweni wevidiyo oyinhloko. Noma kunjalo, i-Broadcasting Act 2023 nohlelo lwezimali luka-2025 luhlanganisa okuqukethwe okuku-inthanethi, ukusakaza okuku-inthanethi nezinsiza zokuhlanganisa. Ama-akhawunti kahulumeni ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ahlinzeka ngeziteshi zezindaba nempendulo, kodwa awathathi indawo yobuntatheli obuzimele. Embikweni weKhabhinethi ka-2025, iziteshi zikahulumeni zazinabalandeli abacishe babe ngu-80,000 ku-Facebook, 56,300 ku-X, 19,300 ku-Instagram nabangu-8,000 ku-LinkedIn; iminyango engu-19 kwengu-20 yayinesiteshi senkundla yokuxhumana. Izinkundla zokuxhumana zingandisa ukubamba iqhaza, kodwa ukubamba iqhaza okuvamile kusalinganiselwe. Isigaba 24 soMthethosisekelo sivikela inkululeko yokukhuluma, abezindaba nemithombo yezindaba, kanye nokwamukela nokudlulisa imibono nolwazi. Imingcele ingase ihlobane nokuphepha komphakathi, ukuhleleka komphakathi, isimilo, impilo, isithunzi nobumfihlo, ulwazi oluyimfihlo, igunya lezinkantolo nokulawulwa kobuchwepheshe bemithombo yezindaba. I-Communications Commission Act 2013, i-Electronic Communications Act 2013, i-Broadcasting Act 2023, i-Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 2022, i-Computer Crime and Cybercrime Act 2022 ne-Data Protection Act 2022 kuyingxenye yohlaka lomthetho lwamanje. Imithetho emidala, kuhlanganise ne-Sedition and Subversive Activities Act 1938, i-Books and Newspapers Act 1963 ne-Suppression of Terrorism Act 2008, nayo iba nomthelela engozini yezomthetho. Empeleni, ukwesaba, ukusatshiswa nokuzithiba ekubikeni kunganciphisa ukubika, ikakhulukazi ngobukhosi. I-Eswatini Data Protection Authority (EDPA) ilawula amalungelo okuvikela idatha ngaphansi kwe-Data Protection Act 2022. Lawa ahlanganisa ilungelo lolwazi, lokufinyelela, lokusula, lokulungisa, lokuphikisa, lokudlulisela idatha, izivikelo ezinqumweni ezizenzakalelayo nokuvinjelwa kokucutshungulwa. Izicelo ngokuvamile ziba nesikhathi sokuphendulwa esingaba yizinsuku ezingu-30. Imihlahlandlela ye-ESCCOM ye-Child Online Safety kanye ne-National Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCSIRT) ibhekana nokuhlukumeza ku-inthanethi, ukugqugquzela izingane ngobuqili, ukuqamba ubuwena obungamanga, ukwabelana ngolwazi oluningi nokuqukethwe okulimazayo, futhi iqondiswe ezinganeni, kubazali, kothisha nakubaphathi bezikole. Ucingo losizo lwezingane u-116 ne-National Cybersecurity Strategy ka-2022 kuya ku-2027 zisekela umsebenzi wokuvikela nokuqwashisa. Ukubamba iqhaza kungaba ngokubonisana kwe-ESCCOM ngemithetho yokuqukethwe neyamalayisensi, izicelo zamalayisensi okusakaza komphakathi wendawo noma umsebenzi wobungcweti wokuzithandela nge-Eswatini Editors Forum (EEF). Umbuthano wetafula oyindilinga we-EEF, i-UNESCO neNhlangano Yezizwe ngo-2024 wakhuluma ngokuzilawula komkhakha, izimiso zokuziphatha, ukuqeqeshwa kwezintatheli nokubamba iqhaza komphakathi. Akukho mthetho ozimele wokufinyelela olwazini noma i-Media Council ezimele eqinisekiswe emithonjeni eyinhloko etholakalayo. Ngakho imibuzo esebenzayo yemithombo yezindaba e-Eswatini imayelana nokufinyelela okuthembekile, ukufinyeleleka kwezindleko, ukuzimela komthombo, ukuphepha kwezintatheli, ukuphepha kwezingane ku-inthanethi nomehluko phakathi kwamalungelo asemthethweni nendlela asetshenziswa ngayo ngempela.