Amathungelwano ezixhobo zonxibelelwano eziphathwayo ezingundoqo seyetshilo ukuba ucimicimi wombane, abangenalawulo lwawo, uza kuba nempembelelo embi ekunciphiseni indleko yedatha. Nangona kunjalo, abathengi akufuneki bahlawule ixabiso ingakumbi kukho imigaqo ekhoyo emele ukuba iyabakhusela ekungafumanini imbuyekezo efanelekileyo ngemali oyichithileyo ngemveliso ngale ndlela.
NguKoketso Moeti
Phantse inyanga yonke, uMzantsi Afrika ubukucimicimi wombane ngotshintshiselwano – okanye ucimicimi ongapheliyo – ngenxa yequmrhu eliphehla umbane welizwe, uEskom esokola ukuhlangabezana nemfuneko yombane. Lo cimicimi ungapheliyo ngoku udala ukucima komqondiso wonxibelelwano weselula ngenxa yothungelwano ezixelwe njengezisokolayo ukugcina iithawa zalo zisebenza.
Impembelelo yoku kucima kwemiqondiso yonxibelelwano kuyanxunguphalisa ngakumbi kubathengi abarhola umvuzo ophantsi. Uphando lubonakalisa ukuba baxhomekeke kwiibundle zedatha ezincinci, kwaye ngexesha uthungelwano lubuya, ibundle yedatha iza kube seyiphelelwe. Uphononongo lwezemfudo yezinga laseyunivesiti lwakutshanje luluxhasile olu phando, olubandakanye iqela labantu olugcina iidayari ukubeka iliso ukusebenziswa kwabo idatha.
Omnye waba bantu bagcina iidayari yayinguThandiwe, owenza iinwele ebekwazi ukuthenga idatha yeR12 ngenyanga. Ngako oko ukuba uThandiwe ebeza kusebenzisa loo R12 ukuthenga 1GB rhoqo ngeyure yedatha bundle, kodwa angayigqibi, bekuza kufuneka athenge idatha bundle entsha ukuze idluliselwe – kodwa uza kube echithe uqingqomali lwedatha yakhe inyanga yonke.
Oku kwaba maxongo nangakumbi kwiimeko zocimicimi wombane, okunokuthetha ukuba ukuba akakwazanga ukufikelela kuthungelwano lwakhe, uThandiwe ngeyephulukene nedatha yakhe ayifumana rhoqo ngenyanga engakhange abe uyisebenzisile. Lo ngumzekelo nje omnye wendlela abathengi abarhola umvuzo ophantsi abadlelwa ngayo indlala ngemiqathango emitsha yokudlulisela. Kodwa akunyanzelekanga ukuba ibe njalo.
Kunyaka nje ophelileyo abathengi baphumelela loyiso olubonakalayo xa uGunyaziwe wezoNxibelelwano oziMeleyo woMzantsi Afrika (i-ICASA) yabhengeza imigaqo, eyayijonge ukukhusela abathengi be-mobile data consumers. Imigaqo iza, phakathi kwezinye iinzuzo, ifune amathungelwano ezixhobo zonxibelelwano eziphathwayo ukuba anike abathengi indlela yokhetho yokudlulisela idatha yabo kunokuba balahlekelwe yidatha engasetyenziswanga. Oku kungaqinisekisa ukuba abathengi bayakwazi ukufumana ixabiso elipheleleyo lemali, nangocimicimi wombane lowo.
Phambi kokuphunyezwa, uVodacom wabhengeza ukuba baza kutsala umrhumo ngokudluliselwa kwedatha – inzame egxekwayo ukuphanga abathengi ngokonwabela iinzuzo zemigaqo. Asikuko kuphela ukuba imirhumo yayikhohlakele, kodwa kubathengi abathenga iibundle rhoqo ngeyure okanye yonke imihla, imirhumo ngeyichithe phantse ngokufanayo nedatha bundle abaza kube beyisebenzisa. Ukucaphuka kwabathengi kunye nenyathelo lomqondisimthetho zabanyanzela ukuba babuyele umva, kodwa ke idabi alikapheli.
Nangona bengarhumisi ngqo ngokudluliselwa kwedatha, uVodacom, kunye noMTN babeke imiqathango esafuna ukuba abathengi bachithe imali ukuze idatha yabo idluliselwe. Ngokwayamene nemimiselo nemiqathango kaVodacom, abathengi baza kulindeleka ukuba bathenge ibundle elinganayo ukwenzela ukuba idatha yabo idluliselwe. U-MTN naye, ufuna ukuba uthenge enye ibundle ukuqinisekisa ukuba idatha yakho iyadluliselwa, nangona bona, ingayi engakanani na. Kwakhona, abathengi abarhola umvuzo ophantsi abanakungakwazi ukuthenga enye ibundle badlelwa indlala ngokukodwa yile mfuneko.
Amathungelwano ezixhobo zonxibelelwano eziphathwayo ezingundoqo seyetshilo ukuba ucimicimi wombane, abangenalawulo lwawo, uza kuba nempembelelo embi ekunciphiseni indleko yedatha. Nangona kunjalo, abathengi akufuneki bahlawule ixabiso ingakumbi kukho imigaqo ekhoyo emele ukuba iyabakhusela ekungafumanini imbuyekezo efanelekileyo ngemali oyichithileyo ngemveliso ngale ndlela.
Asikokokuqala ukuba abasebenza ngothungelwano lwezixhobo zobuchwepheshe eziphathwayo besenza ngeendlela ezenzelwe ukuba zibhukuqe imigaqo. Kunyaka ophelileyo, phantse iiyure ezingama24 phambi kokuba imigaqo ibe imele ukuba iyaphunyezwa, umngeni wezomthetho wafakwa ngabasebenza ngezixhobo zobuchwepheshe eziphathwayo abakhulu eMzantsi Afrika okwakhokelela ekulibaziseni okukhulu. Mva ezinyangeni, kwafikelelwa kwisigqibo ngawo onke amaqela ukuvuma ukuthobela ngomhla we1 Matshi 2019.
Nangona bazenzayo iinzame, ayikho imeko embi kwaphela. Ukubeka uxinzelelo kwabathengi kwakhokelela ekulandelweni kwemigaqo. Kwakhona kwanyanzelisa u-MTN no-Vodacom ukuba banciphise ngokubalaseleyo amaxabiso okuphelelwa kweebundle lixesha. Kwakhona, iKhomishini yoKhuphiswano (Competition Commission) kufike ixesha lokuba ikhuphe ingxelo yayo, emva kophando lwemakethi yayo kwiindleko zedatha.
Abathengi kufuneka babandakanyeke ekuqinisekiseni ukuba iinzuzo zemigaqo zixhanyulwa ngumntu wonke. Indlela enye yokwenza oku kukungenisa izikhalazo kwabasebenza ngothungelwano ukuba awuzixhamli iinzuzo. Iamandla.mobi ikhuthaza abantu ukuba bathumele iimpendulo ezifunyenweyo kwizikhalazo, ukuquka neenombolo zoqinisekiso ezinikiweyo eziza kuba yinxenye yezikhalazo ezininzi eziya ku-ICASA, phakathi kwamanye amanyathelo. Abathengi abanakubanjwa kuze kubizwe imali yokubakhulula ngabasebenza ngothungelwano lwezixhobo zobuchwepheshe eziphathwayo abazimisele ukungathathi amanyathelo ngentembeko.
Ingqumbo yabathengi isebenzile ngaphambili kuba kakade, la maqumrhu manye akhohlakeleyo, andisa inzuzo kangangoko inzuzo axhomekeke kuthi ngeenzuzo zawo.
* Le yinguqulelo ehlelwe ngokungephi yombhalo ovakalisa uluvo lombhali epapashwe okokuqala yiThe Star.
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