NguKoketso Moeti
Sekucishe kwaphela inyanga iNingizimu Afrika ibhekene nokushintshashintshaniswa kokucishwa kukagesi ngenhloso yokuwonga – noma ukunqamuka kukagesi – ngenxa yesikhungo sikagesi sezwe, u-Eskom ohluleka ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zikagesi. Lokhu kunqamuka kukagesi manje sekwenza amaselula angadonsi ngenxa ngenxa yamanethiwekhi okubikwe ukuthi ayehluleka wukugcina imibhoshongo yawo isebenza.
Umthelela waloku kunqamuka kokudonsa kwamaselula kuwalimaza kakhulu amakhasimende ahola kancane. Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi bathembele kuma-bundle edatha amancane, futhi kuthi lapho sekubuya amanethiwekhi, ama-bundle edatha abo asuka esephelelwe yisikhathi. Ucwaningo lwezemfundo lwakamuva lusekele lolu cwaningo, obelubandakanya iqembu labantu abagcina amadayari okuqapha ukusebenzisa kwabo idatha
Omunye walaba ababegcina amadayari uThandiwe, umcwalizinwele obekwazi ukuthenga idatha ka-R12 ngenyanga kuphela. Ngakho uma uThandiwe esebenzise lowo R12 ukuthenga i-bundle yedatha ka-1GB ngehora, kodwa wangayiqedi, kudingeka ukuba athenge i-bundle yedatha entsha ukuze iqale phansi – kodwa uzobe eseyiqedile imali ayibekele idatha yenyanga yonke.
Lokhu kuphinde kwenziwe kubi kakhulu yizigameko zokucishwa kukagesi ngenhloso yokuwonga, okungasho ukuthi ukuba ubengakwazi ukuthola inethiwekhi yakhe, uThandiwe wayezolahlekelwa yidatha yakhe yenyanga engazange ayisebenzise. Lokhu kungesinye sezibonelo zokuthi abathengi abahola imali encane balinyazwa kanjani wuhlelo lwamanje lokuqalisa phansi. Kodwa kungashintsha lokho.
Ngonyaka odlule abathengi baba nokunqoba okukhulu lapho Isikhungo Sezokuxhumana Esizimele saseNingizimu Afrika (i-ICASA) imemezela imithethonqubo, okuhloswe ngayo ukuba kuvikelwe abathengi bedatha yamaselula. Phakathi kwezinye izinzuzo, imithethonqubo izodinga ukuthi amanethiwekhi amaselula ahlinzeke amakhasimende ngethuba lokukhetha ukuqalisa phansi idatha yabo kunokuba kudliwe idatha engasetshenziswanga. Lokhu kuzoqinisekisa ukuthi abathengi bakwazi ukuthola inzuzo ephelele ngemali yabo, noma kunokucishwa kukagesi ngenhloso yokuwonga.
Ngaphambi kokuqaliswa kwakho, iVodacom yamemezela ukuthi izokukhokhisela ukuqaliswa phansi kwedatha – umzamo ongasile wokuqola amakhasimende ngokuthokozela izinzuzo zemithethonqubo. Le ntengo ayigcinanga ngokuba ngexakile nje kuphela, kodwa kukhasimende athenga ama-bundle ehora nawosuku, lezi zindleko bezizobiza cishe imali efana neye-bundle yedatha abebezoyisebenzisa. Ulaka lwamakhasimende kanye nezinyathelo zomlawuli zibaphoqe ukuthi bahoxise lokho, kodwa impi ayikapheli.
Nakuba bangekukhokhiseli ngqo ukuqalisa phansi idatha, uVodacom, uhlangene no-MTN bamise imigomo esadinga amakhasimende ukuthi achithe imali yokuba idatha yabo iqaliswe phansi. Ngokwemigomo nemibandela yeVodacom, kuzodingeka ukuba abathengi bathenge i-bundle elinganayo ukuze idatha yabo iqaliswe phansi. Ne-MTN, idinga ukuthi uthenga enye i-bundle ukuqinisekisa ukuthi idatha yakho iqala phansi, nakuba kuyo, i-bundle kungaklaliwe ukuthi ibe ngakanani. Nalapho, amakhasimende ahola imali encane angakwazi ukukhokhela enye i-bundle alimala ngokusobala ngenxa yalokhu okudingayo.
Amanethiwekhi amaselula amakhulu asethe ukucishwa kukagesi ngenhloso yokuwonga, angenakukulawula , kuzoba nomthelela omubi ekuncishisweni kwezindleko zedatha. Nokho, abathengi akumele bakhokhele lokho ikakhulukazi njengoba kunemithethonqubo emisiwe okumele ibavikele ekutholeni inzuzo ngemali ngale ndlela.
Akusikho okokuqala lapho inkampani yenethiwekhi yamaselula isebenzisa enye indlela edelela imithethonqubo. Ngonyaka odlule, cishe emahoreni angama-24 ngaphambi kokuba kuqaliswe imithethonqubo, izinkampani ezinkulu zamaselula zaseNingizimu Afrika zavula icala lezomthetho elaholela ekubambezelekeni okukhulu. Emuva kwezinyanga, kwafinyelelwa esivumelwaneni lapho abathintekayo bavumelana ngokulandela umthetho ngomhlaka-1 Mashi 2019.
Nakuba kwaba nemizamo emingaka akubanga kubi konke. Ingcindezi yabathengi yaholela ekulandelweni kwemithethonqubo. Kwaphinda kwaphoqa u-MTN noVodacom ukuthi uyinciphise kakhulu intengo yama-bundle. Phezu kwalokho, iKhomishini Yezokuncintisana izokhipha umbiko wayo, emuva kokuphoselwa kwezinkampani imibuzo ngamanani edatha.
Abathengi kumele babambe iqhaza ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi izinzuzo zemithethonqubo zithokozelwa abantu bonke. Enye yezindlela zokwenza lokhu wukuthumela izikhalo ezinkampanini zamanethiwekhi uma zingazithokozeli izinzuzo. I-amandla.mobi igqugquzela abantu ukuthi bathumele izimpendulo abazithola ngezikhalo, okubandakanya izinombolo eziyizinkomba abazinikiwe njengengxenye yesikhalo esikhulu esiya ku-ICASA, phakathi kwezinye izinyathelo. Abathengi akumele bampintshwe izinkampani zamanethiwekhi amaselula abahlose ukungathembeki.
Ulaka lwabathengi lwake lwasebenza ngaphambilini ngoba ekugcineni, lezi zinkampani ezikhohlakele ezifuna inzuzo ngokweqile zethembele kithi ukuze zithole leyo nzuzo.
* Lo mbhalo uhleliwe kancane ususelwa ku-op-ed eyayishicilelwe ku-The Star.
