Free speech is one of the central things to the democracy of our country, but we do not have an appreciation and protection of the plurality of views and the right to free speech.
Before we did not have the right to express our views be it radical political expressions or free intellectual thought etc. Instead of working towards further transforming the system, our leaders opted to form part of the problem makers who abuse their power and access to state resources, so they silence the voices of those who report on what these leaders paid the media not to. For the media to fulfil its functions in a democratic society, the media is responsible for providing a wide range of accurate information that offers alternate perspectives, this also includes exposing the lies our people have been fed.
Money has overtaken the principle of scripting factual and balanced articles. We are faced with a pandemic of journalists who are paid to fabricate stories to push a particular narrative that diverts the attention from the mishaps of the ones in charge.
Pay attention to those who are being targeted by those in charge, there’s truth in what they are presenting to the masses. Unlike those perfectly scripted lies dressed as ‘shocking news’ where there’s always an element of exaggeration in how they push those well scripted stories.
Rather invest in the ones they are trying to silence, the minute they promote an article or story –question the authenticity of the story and take note of the timing. If the targeted ones were misleading us, why waste your time and energy on penning down a lousy letter? Why abuse your power using the resources of the state to hush the voices of those who are exposing the rot in the state? Were you not all over the place campaigning for corruption to be dealt with? Instead of removing yourself from the allegations you quickly run to court? To do what exactly? How does one even begin to justify having cosy relations with the very same CIA that put our freedom fighters through the worst? As ministers and leaders who are dismally failing in their departments, you surely have time to fool around threatening those who expose the rot in the perfectly painted picture you had the public gushing over. Why not repair the broken parts and move?
The freedom of speech they speak so highly of is nothing but a phrase; I say this because of their disgusting urge to control the narrative. These leaders have found comfort in knowing that they can censor what is presented in the media, because it is controlled by the very same masters who pull their strings.
La Nkosi Writes 