PM SPEAKS OF ‘ASSASSINATION THREAT’

Swaziland’s Prime Minister, Barnabas Dlamini said a member of parliament wants him assassinated.

He said this in a statement on Thursday (4 April 2018) while responding to a move by the Swazi House of Assembly to have him charged with contempt of parliament. The motion has not yet appeared.

The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported, ‘It is believed that the assassination insinuations stem from the fact that during the December 11 debate, MP Sikhumbuzo [Dlamini] had stated that it was a pity that the PM’s security was that from the Royal Swaziland Police who were the same people who had to arrest him. 

‘He said the PM should be guarded by a private security company.’

The Times added, ‘The tension between the two started last year when the PM, during the official opening of the Sigwe Post Office, advised the elderly to register to be paid their grants and not listen to some people, particularly MPs who had by that time “boycotted” House business until the issue of the grants was sorted. 

‘At that point, Cabinet also resolved to keep away from Parliament as they stated that there was no money as yet to pay the elderly who had turned 60 last year.’

The Swazi Observer reported on Friday (6 April 2018) the premier said MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, ‘insinuated that the prime minister should be assassinated’.

The Observer reported the Prime Minister saying, ‘If my life is threatened with assassination, I will discuss it in and outside Parliament.’

Prime Minister Dlamini has been under attack from parliamentarians in the past because they believe he ‘over-steps’ his authority. In Swaziland the Prime Minister is not elected by the people or by other members of parliament. He is appointed by the King. He considers himself to be the representative of the King.

He is on public record saying, ‘Government listens when His Majesty speaks and we will always implement the wishes of the King and the Queen Mother.’ The PM said Cabinet’s position was that it respected His Majesty’s position on all matters he spoke about. 

Dlamini has served two separate periods as Prime Minister. His present appointment dates from 2008. In 2016, King Mswati granted Dlamini unlimited power to intervene in the business of any government department. The move came after the President of the Swazi Senate Gelane Zwane, questioned the power of the Prime Minister.

Zwane was not elected to office and was directly appointed by the King.

The change was tabled in the Swazi Parliament on 22 February 2016 although the legal notice had been signed by the King in November 2015.

The Times of Swaziland reported at the time that the King had revoked the Assignment of Responsibilities to Ministers Notice 2009 which had been in force since the current ministries were set up. 

The new legal notice N0.189 of 2015 was signed by the King on 10 November 2015 at Lozitha Palace. It confirms S70 of the Swaziland Constitution which states, ‘The King may, after consultation with the Prime Minister, assign to the Prime Minister or any other Minister responsibility for the conduct of any business of the Government including the administration of any department of Government.’

The Times reported, ‘When asked by this reporter why he had waited so long to table the Legal Notice or working instrument, the PM said it had always been his intention to table it in Parliament and that is why his office had even bounded it to make it presentable to the legislators. 

‘“However, with the sudden turn of events when my responsibilities have been questioned by the Senate President, Gelane Zwane, I also felt it was proper to inform the legislators as early as possible,” said Dlamini.’

This was a reference to an on-going dispute between the Prime Minister and the Senate President about the powers of the PM. In a speech at the opening of the Swazi Parliament on 12 February 2016 Zwane warned the PM about taking powers that were not his and said he was only ‘chairman of cabinet and leader of government business in parliament’.

See also

KING IN TOTAL CONTROL OF HIS KINGDOM

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/king-in-total-control-of-his-kingdom.html

SPEAKER SLAPS DOWN ILLEGAL PM

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/speaker-slaps-down-illegal-pm.html

 

SWAZI PM DLAMINI’S DUBIOUS RECORD

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/swazi-pm-dlaminis-dubious-record.html

MPs BLOCK SWAZI STATE-RADIO FUNDS

Members of parliament in Swaziland have blocked funding to state-controlled radio because they say they are not being allowed on air.

One said the stations under the Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) were being used for ‘character assassination’.

Nkwene MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini told the House of Assembly SBIS had been used to assassinate his character as a member of parliament.

The Swazi Observer newspaper, which is itself in effect owned by King Mswati III who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported on Tuesday (13 March 2018), ‘He said the national radio station was used to tell people how he was evil and disrespectful. The message was sent to the people in a way to de-campaign him. He strongly blamed the editors at SBIS for disseminating news meant to humiliate him.’

During a debate, Nkhaba MP Menzi Dlamini wanted to know if it was still proper for the radio station to be referred to as a national radio station or should it be the ‘Cabinet radio station’.

The Observer reported, ‘He informed his colleagues how he was once denied access to the radio station when he wanted to air an announcement to inform Nkhaba people about an event they were supposed to attend.’

Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko said as MPs they were pioneers of development and also coordinated development activities. So they were supposed to be given access to state media to talk about developmental issues in their constituencies. 

The MPs resolved that they would not release E2 million (US$170,000) to renovate the SBIS studios. 

All radio in Swaziland, except one Christian station that does not broadcast news, is state controlled. The largest of only two television stations in the kingdom is also state-controlled.  

There is a long history of censorship. In August 2014, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Dumisani Ndlangamandla said the Swaziland Government would not let up on its control of state radio,  He said state media existed primarily to serve the interests of the state.

In August 2012, the government announced that in advance of the national election in September 2013 radio would be banned from broadcasting news and information that did not support the government’s own agenda.

New guidelines also barred ‘public service announcements’ unless they were ‘in line with government policy’ or had been authorised ‘by the chiefs through the regional administrators’ or deputy prime minister’s office’.

The guidelines said the radio stations could not be ‘used for purposes of campaigning by individuals or groups, or to advance an agenda for political, financial popularity gains for individuals or groups’.

Strikes and anti-government demonstrations are usually ignored by broadcasters. Sometimes live radio programmes are censored on air. In July 2011, the plug was pulled on a phone-in programme when listeners started criticising the government for its handling of the economy. Percy Simelane, who was then the boss of SBIS, and went on to become the government’s official spokesperson, personally stormed the radio studio and cut the programme.  

In April 2011, Welile Dlamini, a long-time news editor at SBIS, challenged the Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini at an editors’ forum meeting on why the state radio station was told by the government what and what not to broadcast. Welile Dlamini said that at the station they were instructed not to use certain stories such as those about demonstrations by progressives and strike action by workers. The PM responded by saying editors should resign if they were not happy with the editorial policies they are expected to work with.

In March 2011, SBIS stopped broadcasting the BBC World Service Focus on Africa programme after it carried reports critical of King Mswati. 

In 2010, Swazi police told SBIS it must stop allowing people to broadcast information about future meetings unless the police had given permission. Jerome Dlamini, Deputy Director of the SBIS said this was to stop the radio station airing an announcement for a meeting that was prohibited.

He said, ‘It’s the station’s policy not to make announcements without police permission.’ 

In 2006, the Minister for Public Service and Information, Themba Msibi, warned the Swazi broadcasters against criticising the King. MISA reported at the time, ‘The minister’s threats followed a live radio programme of news and current affairs in which a human rights lawyer criticised the King’s sweeping constitutional powers.’

Human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, had been asked to comment on a visit by an African Union (AU) human rights team which was on a fact-finding mission to Swaziland.

‘In response, Maseko said that, as human rights activists, they had concerns about the King’s sweeping constitutional powers and the fact that he the King was wrongfully placed above the Constitution. He said they were going to bring this and other human rights violations to the attention of the AU delegation. 

‘Not pleased with the broadcast, the government was quick to respond. Msibi spoke on air the following day to sternly warn the media against criticising the King. He said the media should exercise respect and avoid issues that seek to question the King or his powers. 

‘The minister said his message was not directed only to radio but to all media, both private and government-owned. He said that in government they had noticed that there was growing trend in the media to criticise the King when he should be above criticism and public scrutiny,’ MISA reported.

Maseko, a long-time campaigner for human rights, was jailed for two years along with Nation Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu in July 2014 for writing articles critical of the Swazi judiciary.

See also

NO LET UP ON SWAZI MEDIA CENSORSHIP

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2014/08/no-let-up-on-swazi-media-censorship.html
 

BILL LETS KING CONTROL BROADCASTING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/bill-lets-king-control-broadcasting.html