SWAZI JOURNALISTS TOLD ‘TELL TRUTH’

Journalists in Swaziland should be prepared to go to jail or even to die to ensure they told the Swazi people the truth, according to a leading activist in the kingdom

Journalists who were not prepared to do this should stop being journalists and go into public relations.

These were the views of Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) Executive Director Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, speaking at the launch of a report into how well media in Swaziland reported on political events in the kingdom.

The Weekend Observer (7 June 2008) reported that Ndlangamandla said Swaziland needed very creative journalists who were willing to exercise their professional responsibility. He said even with the limitations facing the media, journalists could still triumph above these so as to fulfil their mandate and duty to the nation.

Ndlangamandla was commenting on a report called His Master’s Voice: Political Reporting in Swaziland 2007, published by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) – Swaziland chapter.

The report found numerous shortcomings in media political reporting, including biased reporting in favour of the government, a lack of diverse views with an almost total lack of women’s voices in some media houses.

The Weekend Observer reported Professor Richard Rooney, of the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) saying there were no journalists, only propagandists, at the government-controlled broadcasting stations, Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) and Swazi TV.

‘At least those working at SBIS regard themselves as civil servants but those at Swazi TV are a disappointment since they claim to be independent whereas that’s not the case,’ he said.

Rooney noted that the two media were state controlled and this was an impediment towards a democratic Swaziland, urging Swazis to take advantage of changing the status quo in the forthcoming elections.

Stan Motsa, director of SBIS, said the radio station was doing an excellent job with the morning programme, Letishisako.

He said the programme was able to reach people even in furthest lands, bringing both voices on board insofar as articulation of issues was concerned.

Motsa said one had to listen to the Siswati channel to realise he was not just ‘blowing hot air’.

The Weekend Observer quoted Motsa, saying, ‘There’s a distinct difference between the Siswati and English channels. One suspects the team (monitoring) has limitations when it comes to understanding the language (SiSwati) and therefore they confined themselves to the English (channel) and that’s why the publication is in the same language.’

Motsa said the Letishisako programme had the unique ability to reach the people and touch their lives in various ways.

However, MISA Swaziland National Director Comfort Mabuza said not much difference would have been realised listening to the Siswati news bulletin since it is a direct translation of the English one.

The Weekend Observer was brave enough to acknowledge in its own pages criticism of itself. The MISA report revealed that both the Weekend and Swazi Observer violated ethical principles in reporting political matters. Both newspapers were also found guilty of biased coverage.

I have never before come across a media house in Swaziland willing to publicly acknowledge shortcomings. The Weekend Observer coverage of the report was in stark contrast to the Times of Swaziland (5 June 2008) which said MISA had given the Times ‘kudos’ for ‘the best’ political coverage. This is a rather strange reading of the MISA report. The kindest thing you might say is that MISA found the Times’ coverage ‘the least worst’ of a very poor bunch.

The report from MISA on political coverage is an excellent overview of the present shortcomings in Swazi media. I’ll give more details of it at a later date.