The Media Institute of
Southern Africa (MISA) said a law to allow access to information had been
drafted in 2007 but had been ‘left to gather dust on the shelves’.
Swaziland is ruled by King
Mswati III as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are
banned from taking part in elections and the King chooses the Prime Minister
and government ministers. There are few opportunities in Swaziland for people
to engage in free and open debate.
MISA in its annual report
on media freedom So This Is Democracy? Said, ‘Swazi citizens continue to be deprived of
critical information through lack of legislated access to public information,
the lifeblood of national development.’
It added this violated the Swaziland
Constitution which states a
person has ‘freedom to receive ideas and information’.
Each year MISA in Swaziland
investigates government departments and other public institutions to discover
how well they share information.
In its most recent report
in 2017 it named the Ministry of Home Affairs as the worst offender among many.
None of the departments and institutions surveyed had a good record.
MISA surveyed eight
entities. In a report called Transparency
Assessment 2017 The Citizens’ Analysis of Government Openness it concluded, ‘There is still a lot of reluctance from
officials responsible for providing public information to both members of the
public and media practitioners.
‘Worse still, there are no clear lines of communication in most of these public institutions. Government ministries have hired information or communication officers but these public officers are paid for doing little in terms of providing information; they do not have the authority to respond to the queries brought to them. Only the Principal Secretaries in the government ministries are authorised to respond to the questions directed at the ministries.’
‘Worse still, there are no clear lines of communication in most of these public institutions. Government ministries have hired information or communication officers but these public officers are paid for doing little in terms of providing information; they do not have the authority to respond to the queries brought to them. Only the Principal Secretaries in the government ministries are authorised to respond to the questions directed at the ministries.’
MISA added, ‘Information on
the officials designated to liaise with the public and the media is not even
communicated through the websites. The situation is the same in public
institutions—they do not have officials designated to provide information to
information seekers.’
It added, ‘The study
results underscore the need for easing access to public information. It is high
time that public institutions go an extra mile and prioritise information dissemination
to the public and through the media. Government ministries should give the
information and communication officers the authority to communicate information
to the public and media because access to information is key to social,
economic, political and cultural development.’
The survey is conducted
annually and MISA said results of the 2017 study were little different from
those of the previous years.
MISA Swaziland has mounted
an access to information campaign in a strong bid to push for the passage of
the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Bill into law.’
See also
MEDIA ELECTION REPORTING MONITORED
SWAZILAND NEEDS FREE INFORMATION
GOVERNMENT SLOW TO GIVE INFORMATION
https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/govt-slow-to-give-information.html
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