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Thursday 22 October 2020

Swaziland editor suspended after alleged link to political party opposing absolute monarch

Mbongeni Mbingo, the managing editor of the eSwatini Observer group of newspapers, has reportedly been suspended from duty following a report that he and others had started a political party to oppose King Mswati III, the absolute monarch in Swaziland (eSwatini).

The Observer is in effect owned by the king.

The Times of eSwatini reported on Thursday (22 October 2020) that unofficial sources at the newspaper had confirmed they had been told at a meeting Mbingo had been suspended with immediate effect. No reason was given. Observer chief executive officer Sipho Mkhonta declined to comment.

The Swaziland News, an online newspaper, reported that Mbingo had been suspended as a result of a report it had published on Sunday 18 October 2020 that alleged Mbingo was ‘linked to a new “underground” political party Vuka Sive that seeks to influence regime change and overthrow King Mswati.’

 

 

Mbongeni Mbingo, the managing editor of the eSwatini Observer. Picture sourced from Facebook



See also

Swaziland journalist critical of King flees, hides in forest five days

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/05/swaziland-journalist-critical-of-king.html

Swaziland journalist ‘tortured by police after criticising absolute monarch in newspaper articles’ 

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/swaziland-journalist-tortured-by-police.html 

Newspaper editor flees Swaziland for second time after arrest and police torture

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2020/03/newspaper-editor-flees-swaziland-for.html 

‘Editor flees after death threat’

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/editor-flees-after-death-threat.html

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