SWAZI PM: ‘I CONTROL THE MEDIA’

Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini has total control over state television and radio, he reminded editors this week.

Dlamini, who has an international reputation as an enemy of freedom and democracy, said the media should follow government policy and do what they are told.

He was talking at an editor’s forum when he reminded his audience that government had dictated that state media are banned from promoting gambling activities, including Top Lotto.

He said the government forbade the SBIS radio and Swazi TV from promoting gambling, smoking and drinking alcohol.

He said the state media had no discretion in the matter.

‘Government’s stance involved is clear, so state owned media cannot even use their discretion where this is concerned, but they are advised to simply ignore all gambling activities. Even if you are interviewing someone and that person mentions something about gambling, just cut the interview,’ the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported him saying.