Compiled by ZNCJ.ORG
The demand for news is ever increasing in this era of digital technologies. Media consumers are now demanding more quality news reports globally. Underreported stories are an injustice to society and the new twist in modern media is not always favourable for traditional media organisations and content creators who publish news in the best interests of their organisations.
The capture of journalists by private corporates and politicians has a detrimental effect on the quality of media reports in any state, leading to under reportage of critical issues in society.
In Africa, state run media houses are criticized for bias and reporting partisan information in the interests of the government ruling party or the interests of the elite. Media needs of marginalised communities and stories exposing the human condition across the globe are often under reported.
The role of the media becomes limited and obscure in such conditions where media diversity and plurality are almost non existent. In this digital age, state media can not have monopoly over what makes news or what drives content creation.
This article is an investigation of underreported issues in the region, especially of disadvantaged and marginalised communities. Under reportage of African stories is an injustice to society. It is unjust for any society to abuse the media as a tool to pedal interests of the elite.
The starts starts with media rights infringement, draconian media laws designed to stifle press freedom and expression. It results to the persecution of journalists by governments which lead to under – reportage of stories exposing the human condition, corruption and violation of human and animal rights.
Here are some under reported issues in Southern African Countries:
State of ECD and primary school education
ECD was introduced in Zimbabwe in the year in 1972, its inception was run under the colonial government and its legacy was a success post the country’s independence. However, the socio-economic economic meltdown worsened by the scourge of HIV and AIDS as well as the Covid-19 pandemic have directly affect the children’s welfare and development.
As a matter of children’s health and wellness, communities living in poverty accross Southern Africa are failing to provide decent Early Childhood Development care for children. The situation has resulted in cheap and unregulated ECD practices to accommodate children from poor neighbourhoods.
The area of interest is that particularly in rural areas and townships, untrained ECD care givers are unable to identify and care for children with learning (ADHD)and mental disorders. Here we are talking about autistic children who are not seen for who they are.
The issue of vulnerable children in poor ECD children is under reported yet there is a real problem regarding children’s heath care and wellness.
HIV and AIDS related deaths in Occult practices
Surprisingly, there is a wave of cult practices sweeping across Southern Africa. One apostolic cult was started by Johanne Marange in the early 1930s in Zimbabwe. As a result, the Johanne marange church slowly evolved into occult practice over the years. In present day, the cult has spread across Southern African countries including South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique.
Through rebellion, subsects of the cult are now led by patriarchs, paedophiles and sadistic individuals who are hero worshiped by the followers. Here comes the problem, the cult leaders forbid their followers to seek conventional health care in the form of modern medicines.
There is a scourge of child marriages which are sometimes arranged or forced. The news of a 12 year old girl who died whilst giving birth at a shrine in marange shocked the world, however there are many similar cases that go underreported.
Women are not allowed to access maternity services and births are delivered at shrines. Children often grow up without getting immunized.
At these occult, women and children are denied health care. The leaders believe that health problems are solved with prayer and fasting.
The problem worsens as cult leader forbid followers living with HIV and AIDS to take Antiretroviral drugs. At present, there are a lot of HIV and AIDS related deaths in the cult due to lack of access ART.
It is already a serious regional problem on its own that started in Zimbabwe and spilled into neighbouring countries. The issue of denied access to health is a gravely under reported issue in Southern Africa.
Fraudulent charismatic churches running scams, perversion and corruption
Opening up charismatic churches has become a lucrative business venture for bogus pastors and self proclaimed prophets. Going straight to the point, churches are now used as operation centers for organised white collar crime.
Churches are allegedly running money laundering schemes in Southern Africa, where it is easy to set up a church. Church owners and directors are allegedly running scams, siphoning millions of dollars from unsuspecting church followers.
Self styled prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, is facing charges of corruption and money laundering to the tune of over 100 million South African Rands. He criminally violated his bail conditions and fled to his home country where the South African government is pushing for his extradition.Like many other prophets and church owners, Bushiri, was the leading and wealthiest prophet in the region boasting in millions of followers.
Bushiri’s scandal was just a drop in the ocean considering the growing number in charismatic prophets living lavish lifestyles. There is under reportage of crooked church owners who are running fraudulent and bogus operations.
Journalists are often silenced through bribery, to close the lid on scandalous pastors involved in corruption, fraud and sexual violence against church members.
Cross border human trafficking
The media is doing an injustice to victims of human trafficking. There is little or no coverage of the everyday stories of women and children who are trafficked on a daily basis on the continent’s busiest land border post. Beitbridge border post between South and Zimbabwe.
The border post is notorious of human trafficking, smuggling and violent cargo heists. Coming back to human trafficking, women and children from all over Africa are trafficked into South Africa for slave labor, ritual killings, prostitution and various sinister purposes.
Reports of abducted children from Zimbabwe continue to surface, concurrently it is reported that South Africa is the capital for ritual killings of children to gain wealth. Confirmed reports young girls and women trafficked into south Africa hoping for employment as domestic workers who end up enslaved without pay.
Upon arrival, the supposed employers confiscate their identity and travel documents and lock them up for slave labor in the effluent cities in South Africa.
Reports of Kenyan Children emerged in 2020, where a South African human trafficker was found with more than 10 children enroute to south africa. Prostitution syndicates are recruiting you women and children and they are smuggled into south africa via the beitbridge border post.
Worse off, the flow of illicit cigarettes flooding the illegal black markets of South Africa are said to be manufactured in Zimbabwe Cheap cigarettes are reported to reach north Africa.
Police officials in South Africa are recording countless arrests of people found in possession of illegal cigarettes smuggled through the Beitbridge border post. The porous border post is infamous for its corrupt officials .