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Tuesday 19 August 2008

CENSORSHIP AT SWAZI ‘TIMES’ WEBSITE

Normal service has resumed in Swaziland.

The Times of Swaziland newspaper website has deleted the frank – and frankly outspoken – comments readers left over the past days about what they see as the lack of democracy in the kingdom, the corrupt King Mswati III, and the arrogance of Swazi ‘traditional leaders’.

A news report yesterday (18 August 2008) that attracted most criticism involved the ‘traditional Prime Minister’ Jim Gama who declared it ‘uncultural’ for women to engage in a protest march.

The women were (and still are) demanding answers to why eight of the King’s 13 wives had gone on a trip to the Middle East, along with family, bodyguards, maids and assorted hangers-on. The suspicion is that they are on a huge shopping trip ahead of Swaziland’s 40/40 celebrations early next month (September 2008).

Some people had detected a new openness on the part of the Times newspaper by allowing readers to air honestly-held opinions about life in Swaziland. Personally, I never bought into that. In July 2008 I published research that showed just how much the media in Swaziland are censored (especially by the monarchy) and how they censor themselves to avoid offending monarchy. The Times’ website went against that. I reckon what we saw wasn’t a new spirit of freedom; rather it was poor management at the Times which didn’t realise what was going on, until it was pointed out. The moment managers found out, they pulled the plug.

We must wait and see whether comments are allowed on the website ever again. If they are allowed, I suppose they will be ‘moderated’ (i.e censored) before they appear. One thing is for certain, the comments that have been published on the website from readers show there is a lot of genuine ill feeling out there towards the King, his government, and ‘traditional leaders’. The censors might not want us to read about it, but there is no denying the fact of its existence.

See also
KING ATTACKED ON SWAZI WEBSITE


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

They will need an army of royal editors to try to control this. No one really expects much from the Times. But people will still be defiant!
So do you think the judges will also be made to disrobe from the black gown and put on some animal skins for the court room?