Civil society urged to rally behind media
15 September 2008
CIVIL society has been urged to rally behind the media for it to attain its freedom and change the environment under which they operate instead of attacking it.
Bonsile Dlamini, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Swaziland Chairperson, said freedom of expression was for everyone, including civil society.
“For us to attain the change we desire, we need a charismatic and credible leadership, one with integrity. We need to constantly engage one another and also practice what we preach. “Tolerance, transparency and accountability should be practiced by all advocating for such,” she said when officially closing a two-day dialogue on constitutionalism, at Mountain Inn on Friday.
Dlamini called upon civil society to be vibrant so as to influence issues as opposed to its present dormant state. She said the two days had provided participants an opportunity to reflect on issues, noting it got intense at times as demonstrated when Lomcebo Dlamini - WLSA Director - challenged participants on the issue of sacrifice, noting everything boiled down to individual at the end of it all. “She really touched raw nerves on that one.” Speaking at the same function, NNLC President Dr Alvit Dlamini said his party believes in the spirit of Africanism.
He said though they had lost ground in the last decade or so, they were trying to regain it. “Our position with the elections of 2008 is that we have boycotted the process and our reason is simple - you cannot contest for power under the present regime and instead we want a system where the people shall govern.
“Those who have defected from us are not on Sabbatical leave as there's none such in politics. It's either you are on our side or against us,” Dr Dlamini said. He said they rejected an invitation to engage Emabandla at Ludzidzini and Cabinet since these individuals had no power.
As NNLC he said they were concerned at the collapse of the health and education systems in the country.
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