Media Institute of Southern Africa, Swaziland chapter.
Statement
23 April 2013
23 April 2013
Editor lodges appeal against conviction and sentence
Bheki Makhubu, editor of The Nation magazine, has lodged an appeal against his conviction and
sentence. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) understands the appeal
went through late Monday (22 April) and was in time to beat today’s deadline of
paying a US$21,500 fine or face two years in prison.
The Nation, one
of Swaziland’s very few independent sources of news is published by Swaziland
Independent Publishers. The magazine was found guilty of “contempt by
scandalizing the court” following its publication of two articles in 2009 and
2010 that criticised Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi.
Today’s edition of the Times of Swaziland reports that “this [the appeal] means the magazine and its
editor Bheki Makhubu will no longer have to meet today’s deadline” of paying
the $US21,500 fine as ordered by high court judge, Bheki Maphalala, last week.
He is also not going to prison as things currently stand.
The editor now awaits a determination on his appeal by
the Supreme Court. MISA understands that the court’s decision may only come in
November this year as the court only sits in May and November to deliberate on
appeals. It is unlikely that Makhubu’s appeal make it into the May sitting.
MISA has expressed serious concern about the editor’s
conviction and sentence. The organisation’s Programme Specialist for Media
Freedom Monitoring and Research, Levi Kabwato, described the development as “a
major setback for media freedom and freedom of expression in Swaziland”. He
also called on journalists, media practitioners and free expression activists
around the world to support the call for media freedom in Swaziland.
“With elections due in the country later this year, the
media’s role will become ever so critical. but if that media is under the
threat of legal sanction, or indeed other threats as we have recorded
previously, then this is only the beginning of what is likely to be a very
problematic period for Swazi media,” Kabwato said.
See also
GROWING
SUPPORT FOR ‘NATION’ EDITOR
EDITOR FINE ‘MEANT TO SILENCE PEOPLE’
EDITOR: ‘SUN SETS ON MEDIA FREEDOM’
FUND SET UP IN BID TO PAY EDITOR’S FINE
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