The King, in effect owns the group which is part of the Tibiyo Taka Ngwane that he controls ‘in trust for the nation’, but uses as a source of personal finance.
The
six-member board includes two members of his family and one chief. In
Swaziland, where King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch, chiefs owe their positions to the King’s patronage.
The Swazi
Observer group has been called a ‘pure propaganda machine for the royal family’ by the Media Institute of Southern Africa in a
report on the lack of press freedom in Swaziland.
The board of
directors has been in place since 2013 and will sit until 31 October 2018.
In a report in
the Swazi Observer on Thursday (26 November 2015) Chair of the Board
Sthofeni Ginindza was reported saying, ‘Bayethe Wena Waphakathi. That’s all we
can say as a board and thank the King for showing confidence in the board and
ours is to continue with our mandate to ensure that our newspaper remains
independent in its presentation of news.’
Despite
Ginindza’s statement on ‘independence’, the Swazi Observer group has made no
secret that it exists to support King Mswati and his so-called traditionalists.
On 1 March
2010, Musa Ndlangamandla, the then
editor-in-chief of the Swazi Observer group, wrote in his own newspaper, ‘But
our collective stand as a newspaper is that the integrity of Swaziland as a
democratic State and His Majesty King Mswati III as the legitimate leader of
the Swazi nation, must never be compromised in any way.’
On 8 January
2011, Alec Lushaba, then editor of the Weekend
Observer and now editor of the Sunday
Observer, wrote
in his own newspaper, ‘We commit ourselves
into respecting and observing the institution of the Monarchy by ensuring that
all publications with regard to Their Majesties are factually, culturally and
traditionally correct. The sensitivity of the institutions demands that all
facts be checked or verified with the traditional structures and/or have been
in direct consultation with Their Majesties.’
The full
board of the Swazi Observer group is: Sthofeni Ginindza, Prince Mandla Roland
Dlamini, Senator Princess Phumelele Dlamini, Chief of Ezulwini Mashampu Sifiso
Khumalo, Dumsile Lavumisa Sigwane and Simanga Zibuse Simelane.
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