By Zweli Martin Dlamini

The South African media is being soft on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress(ANC) while load-shedding destroys the economy, undermines citizens’ security including access to information.

Perhaps, it is important to understand that, everytime electricity goes-off particularly at night,some South Africans are robbed and killed on the streets and within their homes while women are raped.

But in the context of access to information, everytime electricity goes-off, some South Africans are unable to access information on social media due to internet blackout while some businesses without an alternative source of power, are forced to close.

In this regard,load-shedding is,

and remains, a gross violation of human rights and the media must address it in that context.

The media wouldn’t be soft on the Government if Jacob Zuma was the President of ‘load-shedding’ and we need to ask ourselves what is so special about President Cyril Ramaphosa?.

The role of the media is hold those in power accountable and be the voice of the voiceless, the media voice against load-shedding must be amplified.

South Africa is a trading partner to other countries within the Southern African Development Community(SADC) region and the economic challenges triggered by the load-shedding will surely affect other countries like eSwatini.

Indeed, if Jacob Zuma was the President of load-shedding, by this time, we would be reading “Zuma must Fall” articles in the South African media.

It’s high time the South African media conducts an introspection on the issue of load-shedding, the country is going down and the Government particularly President Ramaphosa must be held accountable.