The Swazi Observer newspaper feels under threat from what it calls ‘organisations’ in Swaziland.
Last month it was reported that would-be bombers had tried to blow up the Observer, but found the security at the offices too tight so they blew up Lozitha Bridge instead.
Today (20 October 2008), in an editorial the newspaper hits out at the ‘loud silence of the so-called advocates of freedom of the press, including media organisations - the people who are famous for immediate reactions when the penny drops’.
The newspaper says, ‘If the bomb threat had been directed at the ‘other paper’ at Sheffield Road [the Times of Swaziland group], there is no doubt that this would have resulted in a massive stampede by every ‘organisation’ to issue a statement slamming and condemning such talk of barbarism against a ‘free press.’
‘With us - it is silence and a perceived spiritual support for the bombers - it would seem.’
It goes on, ‘We are expecting these ‘organisations’ to mushroom with demonic kinetic energy, as and when they feel we have violated some ethical requirement or other - but for now we have to be content with the knowledge that they want us bombed.’
Of course, we should all condemn attacks on the freedom of the media whenever they occur. So, as one of the people who often critiques the media in Swaziland let me say it is wrong to bomb newspaper offices.
It is a pity that whoever wrote the Observer article didn’t read it before it went to press. How can you reconcile these two paragraphs?
‘As a newspaper and obvious target, we support His Majesty’s call for an end to the deadly music of war drums, and that perpetrators of these acts of terrorism should be brought to book and be forced to account for their misdeeds.
‘As for why Swazi Observer is a target of these lunatics will remain a mystery ...’-
Either the targeting is ‘obvious’ or it isn’t. Please make up your mind.
It is almost certain that the Observer was a target because it is a voice of power in Swaziland. It is in effect owned by King Mswati III and supports him unquestionably. You only need to look at the events of last week when the king unconstitutionally appointed Barnabas Dlamini, a man with an atrocious human rights record, as the new Prime Minister.
Not a peep out of the Observer in protest.
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