PUT UP OR SHUT UP, SENATOR TOLD

A loud mouthed Swaziland senator has been told to put up or shut up over her allegations that Swazi journalists have leaked ‘sensitive’ information to South African newspapers.

The Swaziland National Association of Journalists (SNAJ) says Senator Ndileka Dlamini has tainted local reporters with her allegations.

The row started when Dlamini called on the Swazi Government to ‘deal’ with any local reporter found to be leaking ‘sensitive news’.

She called for a sense of ‘patriotism’ from journalists.

‘They must learn to respect the country and know that what they are doing is wrong,’ she told senators.

Senators were angry that although news in Swaziland is censored, overseas’ publications and the Internet can carry the truth about the kingdom. This was especially the case recently when news of the Swazi Royal Family sex scandal was reported across the globe, but not in Swaziland.

Now, SNAJ has told Dlamini to name and shame the journalists involved in such practice instead of tainting all journalists in the country. ‘If the senator has information substantiating her accusations she should rightly expose the individual than to taint local journalists as being the ones behind such acts.

‘For all we know, the source of such could have been from within the House itself considering the available resources,’ SNAJ said in a statement.

SNAJ said the Senator should substantiate her claims by providing evidence of those journalists leaking sensitive stories to the South African media. Failing which the Senator should withdraw her statements unconditionally.