The Times of
Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, has censored
itself over a poll showing disapproval of King Mswati III.
The Times today (8 May 2012) reports a Gallup finding that only 40 percent of Swazi people approve
of the way the government runs the kingdom.
But, what the Times
did not report was that the same poll found that 43 percent of Swazi people
disapprove of King Mswati’s leadership. The King is sub-Saharan Africa’s last
absolute monarch.
The self-censorship at the Times comes only days after Times’
managing editor, Mbongeni Mbingo, wrote in his own newspaper, ‘the challenge
for us all in this country is access to information; and there can be no
freedom if we are still battling to access basic information freely’.
Mbingo was reacting to criticism Swazi journalists received
during an event to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May.
Mbingo went on, ‘The press, therefore, tries under the
prevailing situation to do all it can to publish information that is balanced
and accurate.’
See also
POLL SHOWS DISAPPROVAL OF SWAZI KING
MEDIA FREEDOM AMONG GLOBAL WORSE
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