Swazi Media Commentary: Makhubu Bheki

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Friday, 17 October 2025

Swaziland Newsletter No. 899 – 17 October 2025

Swaziland Newsletter No. 899 – 17 October 2025

News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk) in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com), and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge. The newsletter and past editions are also available online on the Swazi Media Commentary blogsite.

MPs want vetting process before marriage

By Sabelo Majola, Times of eSwatini, 15 October 2025

SOURCE

MBABANE: Members of Parliament (MPs) want a legislation that will necessitate the vetting of individuals before they commit to a marriage.

This call comes after the legislators expressed worry with the high number of divorces reflected in the Ministry of Home Affairs Second Quarter Performance Report.

In the period between July 2025 and September 2025, 196 divorces were registered at the ministry. This shows a decline of 26 per cent, compared to 247 that were registered in the first quarter. Early last year, this newspaper reported that in just one year, registered divorce cases increased by 70 per cent, according to the Annual Vital Statistics Report 2023.

It was reported that among both sexes, divorces occurred between the age groups of 30 and 34 and 40 and 44 years. According to the report, most brides got divorced between the ages of 35 and 39, while grooms retired from their matrimonial unions between 40 and 44 years. At the backdrop of these figures, MPs want a policy that will look into the readiness of couples, considering such things as financial stability, age of consent and if families of the couple have given a green light to their union, among other things.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.times.co.sz/news/readmore.php?bhsadjgfoh=MPs+want+vetting+process+before+marriage&yiphi=1415&bvhdgsj=News

See also

Easy marriages a major cause of rising divorce rate (eSwatini Observer)

https://eswatiniobserver.com/easy-marriages-a-major-cause-of-rising-divorce-rate/

Over 46 girls sexually violated in 3 months

By Kwanele Sibiya, eSwatini Observer, 13 October 2025

SOURCE

Over 46 young girls aged between zero and 17 years have been sexually violated in Eswatini in the past three months.

This was revealed by Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) Executive Director Nonhlanhla Dlamini, who expressed deep concern over the rising number of child abuse cases, especially those involving sexual violence.

“In the last three months (from July to September), we received over 46 cases of children that have been sexually violated. The cases involve children aged between zero to nine, 10–14, and 16–17,” Dlamini said on Friday during a press briefing held at SWAGAA offices.

She said despite extensive advocacy on child protection and gender-based violence (GBV), the scourge continues unabated.

Dlamini further criticised the justice system, alleging that it was failing to protect child victims.

She said it was painful that children, the future generation, were being abused while the system appeared indifferent.

“It is disheartening that the very justice system that should protect them seems not to be doing anything about it,” she said.

Meanwhile, Youth Sustainable Development Centre Director Nokuthula Mamba said society was normalising discriminatory cultural norms, leaving many young people without a voice.

To read more of this report, click here

https://eswatiniobserver.com/over-46-girls-sexually-violated-in-3-months/

Friday, 8 September 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 793 – 8 September 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 793 – 8 September 2023

The forgotten people of eSwatini

By Joan Stott, Mail & Guardian, South Africa, 1 September 2023

(Joan Stott is Amnesty International’s debt and human rights fellow)

SOURCE

It’s been seven months since the killing of eSwatini human rights defender Thulani Maseko, a lawyer and activist who refused to turn a blind eye to injustice. He was dedicated to seeing human rights respected in the country and he spoke for the people who continue to yearn for the respect and fulfilment of their rights.

One of his acts of standing against injustice was raising concerns in 2014 about judicial independence and integrity in the country. For that, Maseko and journalist Bhekithemba Makhubu were sentenced to two years in prison on charges of contempt of court. The trial that convicted them was grossly unfair and Amnesty International declared them prisoners of conscience.

At the time of his killing, Maseko chaired the Multi-Stakeholders Forum, a group of political parties and civil society groups calling for democratic reform in the country.

Maseko’s voice was not alone in the call for democratic reform in eSwatini. Since 2018, protests against the lavish lifestyle of King Mswati III — Africa’s last absolute monarch, in power since 1986 — and the widespread misuse of public funds have been brewing across the country.

All while people get poorer and poorer. In 2022, World Bank figures indicated at least 32% of the population live below the international poverty line of $2.15 a day and 55% live under the lower-middle-income country poverty line of $3.65 a day. When this is compared to the lifestyle of luxury cars, travel abroad and deluxe homes of Mswati and his family, the acuteness of inequality is palpable — fuelling dissent and social tension.

Earlier this year, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation published its 2022 Ibrahim Index of African Governance. The index covers all 54 African countries and has been published since 2007.

It is an important and well-regarded barometer on the performance of African countries on safety and the rule of law; citizen participation and rights, inclusion and equality — including gender equality; the environment for business, labour, government and the rural economy and human development such as health, education, social protection and the climate.

It includes official and expert data, as well as information focused on public perception.

A quick look through the 2022 publication may lead one to believe that eSwatini has progressed in delivering overall, properly functioning governmental institutions and providing people with adequate, basic services, such as food, water, housing, education and health.

Upon closer examination, however, there has been a troublesome decline in eSwatini’s key scores since 2017. The satisfaction of the people of the country with the state and economy has deteriorated, particularly in perceptions of the functioning of the economy, human rights, social inclusion, gender equality and the provision of social services such as health, education, and water and sanitation.

The index shows a score of zero for things such as accountability and transparency, the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief, digital rights and the representation and access to markets in the rural economy. It reveals that the people of eSwatini are not happy with how their freedoms are unduly limited.

This is most clearly evident in the heavy restrictions on freedom of association and peaceful assembly in the country — with authorities using the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 and the outdated colonial-era law, the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938, to silence activists and political opposition.

An ongoing wave of protests began in June 2021, after the mysterious death of 25-year-old law student Thabani Nkomonye in May of that year. His death was allegedly at the hands of the police. His body was found in a field about 10km outside Manzini, the country’s largest urban centre.

To read more of this report, click here

https://mg.co.za/thoughtleader/2023-09-01-the-forgotten-people-of-eswatini/

eSwatini government accused of silencing activists demanding reforms by firing top teacher’s union leader

By Sihle Mavuso, Independent on Line (South Africa), 1 September 2023

SOURCE

The “autocratic” government of the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland) has been slammed for its decision to fire a top teachers’ union leader, with the Communist Party of Swaziland saying the move is aimed at silencing those who are calling for democratic reforms.

The condemnation comes after the kingdom fired Mbongwa Dlamini, the president of the Swaziland National Teachers Union (SNAT), one of the labour movements that has been giving King Mswati III sleepless nights for decades.

According to the Times of Eswatini, Dlamini was accused by the Teaching Services Commission of absteentism, and he was slapped with 109 charges.

After a protracted disciplinary hearing that went on and off for years, Dlamini, who is a teacher in one of the schools in the country, was fired last week.

The general secretary of the communist party, Thokozane Kunene, says the decision to fire Dlamini dates back to 2018, when he ascended to the office of the presidency of the union.

He said Dlamini “has been in and out of Mswati’s kangaroo courts and tribunals defending himself from the regime’s concocted charges imposed through the Teaching Service Commission, an institution tightly controlled by the ruling regime.”

He said on August 10, 2022, Dlamini was summoned by the police commissioner to answer why he had cautioned teachers on the dangers of going to work in the midst of the political unrest in Swaziland.

Soon after getting nominated for re-election as the union’s president in March 2022, the regime reinstated all the trumped-up charges that were unfairly levelled against him as far back as 2018.

He said the regime went on to arbitrarily withhold his salary for more than eight months and slap him with 109 trumped-up charges.

“The dismissal of the President of the Swaziland National Teachers Association (SNAT), Comrade Mbongwa Dlamini, which followed many years of intimidation and harassment by the Mswati autocracy, is but one of the gross acts of union bashing by the Mswati autocracy.

“By attacking union leaders, the regime’s primary objective is to break the resilience of the people in the quest for democracy,” he said.

However, the spokesperson of the government of the kingdom, Alepheous Nxumalo, said the process was fair.

“The matter of Mr Mbongwa Dlamini is one of employer-employee responsibility, which is governed by the Industrial Act of 1980 as amended and other related labour laws.

“Therefore, government refutes and dismisses outright any insinuations of political indulgence or influence on the labour outcome between Dlamini and his employer, which is the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

He added that Dlamini had his legal team on his side all the time, and if he felt the process was unfair or politically motivated, they could advise him accordingly.

“Mr Dlamini was duly represented by a legal team of his particular choice in this case, and government has no doubt whatsoever that he will access proper legal guidance and advice on a way forward on his dismissal should he feel that it was unfair and/or politically motivated,” Nxumalo added.

CIVICUS, FSEJ demand release of activists

By Chinomso Momoh, Development Diaries, 6 September 2023

SOURCE

CIVICUS and Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice (FSEJ) have urged Eswatini authorities to immediately release pro-democracy activists Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube from prison. Development Diaries reports that police arrested Mabuza and Dube, both members of parliament, on 25 July, 2021, amid a sweeping and violent crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy and anti-police protests. It is understood that Mabuza and Dube face up to 20 years imprisonment after a flawed conviction on trumped-up charges.

‘As Eswatini celebrates the anniversary of its freedom from colonial rule, the authorities must free jailed activists Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube without delay’, said CIVICUS Chief Programmes Officer, Mandeep Tiwana.

‘Mabuza and Dube never should have been arrested in the first place, and should not spend one more minute behind bars’.

The civil society organisations (CSOs) believe that Mabuza and Dube’s imprisonment is part of a sharp downturn in rights in Africa’s last absolute monarchy. Human Rights Watch (HRW), in June, reported that the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters by security forces had led to the death of at least 46 people, as well as other serious human rights abuses. The report further noted that the Eswatini authorities have failed to ensure accountability for the crackdown.

The Eswatinian administration has increased its crackdown on dissenting views since protests for democracy first started in May 2021, detaining critics of the government on bogus charges, interfering with peaceful protests, and opposing calls for democratic reforms.

The protests erupted after the death of 25-year-old law student Thabani Nkomonye, allegedly at the hands of police. Eswatini was ranked ‘not free’ in the 2023 Freedom in the World report by Freedom House, with the country scoring 17 out of a possible 100.

Development Diaries calls on the Eswatini authorities to respect the human rights of activists and conduct a transparent, independent, and impartial investigation into the killings and other human rights violations resulting from the security forces’ excessive use of force.

Regional heads of state snub Mswati’s 55-55 birthday-Independence Day double celebration, King’s spokesperson says event not a SADC summit

By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 6 September 2023

SOURCE

LOZITHA: King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane says, the highly anticipated 55-55 King’s Birthday and Independence Day double celebration will continue smoothly, without the presence of other Heads of State within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Responding to this Swaziland News on Tuesday evening, when asked why SADC Heads of State snubbed such an important event in the history of the country, the Spokesperson said, other guests might not be physically present but, they will be represented.

The event will be held on Wednesday at the Somhlolo National Stadium, former President Jacob Zuma, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and former Botswana President Ian Khama are expected to grace the event.

“The celebrations in question are not a SADC Summit. Therefore, participation in them is not mandatory. The invitations were dispatched were not orders, and we did not expect every SADC Head of State to come in person. Representation is normal everywhere in the world if the intended guest is engaged in other pressing duties of national interest. With or without total participation of SADC Heads of State, we believe we shall successfully celebrate as a nation. There is no Nation we almost became, and we believe we are not expected to celebrate like another SADC Nation with may have enjoyed total participation of SADC Heads of State”, said the King’s Spokesperson.

Eswatini will, on Wednesday, 06 September 2023, celebrate fifty-five (55) years of Independence from British rule including the King’s Birthday.

Reached for comments, Sivumelwano Nyembe, the Spokesperson of the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum (MSF) said, they observed the notable absence of the sitting Heads of State at what he described as a meaningless independence celebration.

“We earnestly hope that governments both within the region and across the world will voice their concerns regarding the absence of democracy in Swaziland. It is our belief that Swaziland requires substantial political support to facilitate a meaningful transition to democracy, which is essential for ensuring sustainable peace in the country. We strongly advocate for the initiation of internationally mediated political dialogue, a critical step in addressing the prevailing challenges. We call upon the heads of states in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take on the responsibility of pushing for political dialogue in Swaziland. The failure to implement their own resolutions poses a threat to the dignity and legitimacy of SADC. The people of Swaziland are in dire need of this internationally mediated political dialogue to pave the way for a democratic and peaceful future”, said the MSF Spokesperson.

On another note, Penuel Malinga, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), released a statement, saying,the Independence Day serves as a constant reminder of the task to push the Swazi struggle and, intensify the fight to reclaim freedom and independence from the royal family.

Friday, 12 May 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 776 – 12 May 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 776 – 12 May 2023

eSwatini to hold parliamentary elections in September

By Agence France Presse, May 5, 2023

SOURCE

The last absolute monarchy in Africa where political parties are banned and lawmakers are sidelined by the king -- will hold parliamentary elections on September 29, the election authorities said Friday.

The vote is unlikely to change the political scenery in the southern African nation of 1.2 million people that has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. The king wields absolute power.

Voter registration will start next week, and a preliminary round of voting to select candidates is scheduled for August, said the head of Eswatini's Elections and Boundaries Commission, Prince Mhlabuhlangene Dlamini.

"Finally, secondary elections (will take place) on the 29th of September. That will mark the end of the election process," he told a press conference in Lobamba, the legislative capital.

Elections in the country take place in a convoluted system that ensures Mswati faces no meaningful dissent.

The vote comes two years after dozens of people were killed as police violently quashed demonstrations calling for democratic reforms.

Winners in the 59 constituency ballots will take seats in parliament's lower house, along with 10 lawmakers that the king appoints directly.

Mswati can veto any legislation, appoints the prime minister and cabinet, and is constitutionally above the law.

He also selects 20 of the 30 senators in the upper house. The rest are elected by the lower house.

Candidates cannot be affiliated to any political group under the constitution which emphasises "individual merit" as the basis for selecting members of parliament and public officials.

Mswati has been widely criticised for his lifestyle, reputedly lavishing his 15 wives with millions of dollars a year while nearly 60 percent of the population live on less than $1.90 a day.

See also

Political parties react to election dates announcement

http://www.times.co.sz/news/140045-political-parties-react-to-election-dates-announcement.html

Peaceful Workers Day celebration: TUCOSWA Secretary General Mduduzi Gina says police were advised to stay-away from Mayaluka Stadium to avoid provocation

By Wendy Magagula, Swaziland News, 6 May 2023

SOURCE

MBABANE: Mduduzi Gina,the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland(TUCOSWA) says the peaceful Workers Day celebration that was witnessed at Mayaluka Stadium on Monday came as a result of vigorous efforts by the federation and other key stakeholders.

Speaking to this Swaziland News current affairs program on Thursday, the TUCOSWA Secretary General said they held meetings before the May Day,even the police were engaged to avoid coming closer to the workers.

“We advised the police to avoid coming to the Stadium to prevent confrontations with the workers because whenever the people see them, they remember the ongoing atrocities that are committed by the police against the people,” said the TUCOSWA Secretary General.

Gina said the federation was in the process of formulating policies that will create a legal framework that seeks to reflect the true identity of the organization and what it stands for.

The Secretary General said the framework will determine ‘friends’ and partners of the federation and its position on other political and economic issues among others issues.

eSwatini Supreme Court hears LGBTQ rights case. Advocacy group hopes to legally register

By Daniel Itai, Washington Blade (United States), 9 May 2023

SOURCE

Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities, an LGBTQ and intersex rights group, is hopeful the country’s Registrar of Companies will allow it to register after the Supreme Court heard its case on May 5.

The Registrar of Companies in 2019 first denied Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities’s request on grounds the organization advocates for LGBTQ and intersex rights that are illegal.

Consensual same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under common law, which criminalizes sodomy. The law, however, has never been enforced, but Emaswati who identify as LGBTQ or intersex still face discrimination.

Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities in 2020 approached the Supreme Court with the case. The Supreme Court dismissed it in 2022, but Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities appealed the ruling.

Closing arguments in the case took place on May 5.

“There is no law in Eswatini that prohibits the LGBTI+ community from identifying. Nothing is criminal about that. Don’t we have in this country an association of ex-prisoners? Isn’t the Registrar not scared that the ex-prisoners association includes rapists and murderers who will share ideas but is afraid of the LGBTI+ community? How is that association legal and ESGM is not? Homosexuality was not outlawed by the constitution and therefore the refusal to register ESGM is clearly a rights infringement,” said Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities in a statement.

The Supreme Court has not said when it will issue its ruling.

Eswatini’s government has not forbidden Pride celebrations or obstructed their planning, even though it continues to oppose LGBTQ and intersex rights.

Rock of Hope, an LGBTQ and intersex rights organization, in 2018 organized Eswatini’s first Pride event.

The country is the continent’s last absolute monarchy, which has been under King Mswati III’s rule since 1986 when he was 18. Eswatini is deeply rooted in traditional and customary practices, which are mostly patriarchal, that do not include the LGBTQ and intersex community.

According to Gerbrandt van Heerden, an African researcher, historical evidence in many instances dispels the notion that LGBTQ and intersex people, as well as non-traditional gender expressions and identities, are alien to African culture.

“Whether it is the elite pushing the gay rights are un-African narrative out of pure ignorance, or whether power-hungry politicians dance to the tune of the people they govern in order to remain popular with the electorate, there is no question that categorizing same-sex attraction as a foreign concept and a form of neo-colonialism serves as a major obstacle to LGBTI rights on the continent,” said van Heerden.

Van Heerden also noted that in order for there to be less stigmatization of LGBTQ and intersex people, there should be more awareness of the LGBTQ and intersex community.

“Debunking the idea that LGBTI people are un-African is another powerful tool to further LGBTI rights on the continent. It all boils down to education,” said van Heerden. “Studies have shown that tolerance for gay people is highest among educated Africans. LGBTI people are among the most vilified groups on the continent today, but simply paging through the history.”

Although the government and many Emaswati only see LGBTQ and intersex rights organizations as advocacy groups, they play a pivotal role in ensuring the community’s health.

Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities and Rock of Hope have been working to ensure LGBTQ and intersex Emaswati receive access to health care without discrimination.

The Rock of Hope last month on Rainbow Health Day provided free medical care to the country’s LGBTQ and intersex community. This care included COVID-19 vaccinations, HIV testing and counseling, psycho social support, TB and STI screenings, free condoms and lubricant distribution, among other things.

Time for eSwatini footballers union

Straight Talk with Ashmond Nzima, Times of eSwatini, 9 May 2023

SOURCE

Are soccer players not humans after all?

They do suffer from nervous breakdowns, throwing up before games, and missing penalties on the biggest occasions. It might sound simple to say that soccer players are professionals who are paid hefty salaries. However, it is always easier said than done because pressure gets to everyone. Even the best of the best have had nerves get to them at some point in their careers. The pressure of being a soccer player is huge. The attention from the media, coupled with the money paid by clubs demand greater performances and high expectations from a fan base that is ready to jeer you for any small mistake, which can make life impossible for a player.

As the paragraphs above suggest, today’s topic is an issue that does not receive any attention or mention at all. I’m talking about the lack of a players’ union or association in Eswatini football. Referees and coaches have long organised themselves and formed their own associations or unions. The formation has helped them have a voice within the football echelons of power. Sometime back, certain former players tried to form a union or association, but before it materialised, they vanished into thin air; to this day, nothing has been heard from them.

The union or association allows players to stand together to protect their rights from explosive clubs bosses. It can use its combined strength to force club owners to provide better working conditions.

Its formation can assist in many ways, including but not limited to influencing and/or demanding club owners or bosses insure them for eventualities like death, injuries, and so on. In the past, we have witnessed players’ careers coming to an untimely end due to curable injuries, but a lack of insurance to cover such injuries has crippled a player. Furthermore, other players lost their lives on the field, and in the end, there was no compensation to their immediate families because there was a lack of such policies to cover the same. More than that, union or association representation is important for players because it will protect current and future generations. Currently, at the highest level of football power, players are unrepresented and have no voice. The only way things may change is for players to organise themselves by forming a players’ union.

Furthermore, such a union or association will assist in the abuse meted out to players by their clubs. It is disappointing to hear a club announce that they have signed a player for a specific amount of money with certain benefits accruing, which normally include signing on fees and salaries. Within a month or so, the parties are at each other’s throats, with the player alleging non-fulfillment of the contractual obligation by the club or employer. These are some of the issues the players’ union will be expected to address. Today, players who are generating huge sums of money for their clubs struggle to pay for basic necessities, not to mention taking care of themselves.

We are all aware that a contract is mutual; either party can terminate for good reason. It hurts to see a player being frustrated by his employer or club, under the assumption that he has a running contract. While at the same time, the club is fully aware that it has breached the terms and conditions of the said contract. Club bosses in the country owe players thousands, if not millions, of Emalangeni in compensation for signing on fees, unlawful termination of contracts, and unpaid salaries. That is why it is common to hear that players at certain clubs are on strike or refusing to train in protest of unpaid salaries.

In many quarters, the failure of clubs to adhere to labour laws has been attributed, in part, to the armed forces proximity to state resources. They are accused of poaching players by promising employment and, in the process, fail to pay a transfer fee. They further argue that if such a transfer fee were to be fairly paid, such money may be channeled to the team’s operational needs, including player welfare. This is an old issue that has been ongoing for many years. Even as I write this article, the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) has formed a committee to look into it and make recommendations. Therefore, I’m not about to express my opinion, whether in favour or not.

Furthermore, the said armed forces have been accused by their own players of failing to comply with the terms and conditions of their contractual obligations towards them. These are the issues the union or association, if it existed, would urgently address. The union or association will be expected to assist in engaging the club bosses and, where possible, the Eswatini Football Association (EFA), and leverage the playing field. This is more so because, irrespective of the club’s promise of employment to a player, the club is not absolved of honouring the player’s contract by remunerating him for the services rendered. The union has a commanding voice in protecting players’ interests and welfare, as we have seen in other jurisdictions, with clubs being heavily sanctioned by FIFA and having been approached by the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO).

Lastly, it may be argued that the EFA Players Status Committee is in existence to address these issues. But as the word status suggests, this committee is primarily concerned with the free movement of players from one club to another. Secondly, being in a grouping is advantageous, as it gives the players bargaining power when confronting the EFA and PLE Board of Governors or Executive. The formation of a labour union or association is permissible under the Kingdom of Eswatini laws.

Unpacking the state of the media in eSwatini

By Bheki Makhubu, eSwatini News, 6 May 2023

SOURCE

For us here in Eswatini, the uprising of June 2021 put the nail in the coffin of the traditional media. The influence of online media, which quickly sprang up during that time, as the vehicle that perpetuated the civil unrest cannot be underestimated.

Government’s bid to control the flow of information on online platforms during this most difficult time for Eswatini, by shutting down the internet on several occasions did not help because, by doing so, this had the unintended consequence of affecting commercial transactions, even across our borders, and threatened the broader economy. It was bad.

I am one of those journalists who have suffered at the hands of government excesses in its bid to suppress freedom of expression. I spent 15 months in prison for exercising this right between March 2014 and June 2015. The government has never acknowledged the wrong that was done to me and my co-accused, the late Thulani Maseko, despite the Director of Public Prosecutions conceding that our prosecution was wrong and the Supreme Court making a legal finding to that effect too.

One can only surmise that government’s reaction to our misfortune was informed by a belief that independent media Eswatini will not be tolerated, regardless of the facts. Put differently, the message is that facts do not vindicate the truth. To underscore this point, let me quote Judge Mpendulo Simelane when he sentenced Thulani and I to two years in prison on July 17 2014. He said: “Some journalists have this misconception that just because they have the power of the pen and paper they can say or write anything under the disguise of freedom of expression. This is a fallacy.”

Please note that Mr Maseko was a lawyer who dedicated his life to human rights and it was I the journalist. The judge, therefore, took time off to single out the media on free speech rights in order to send a message to all of us that such freedoms are, indeed, a fallacy. That’s how I understand this quotation. Why am I telling you this? I bring it up because I want to highlight the fact that the rise of digital news dissemination Eswatini also brought its fair share of problems, when you look at the other side of the coin.

Bills Affecting The Media

The government of Eswatini had already been working on legislation to control the exchange of information online, and particularly social media platforms when the uprising began in June 2021. At the time, I wrote a few articles, published in The Times of Eswatini, where I pointed out the threat of such laws as the Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill of 2020 and the Data Protection Bill of 2020 posed to information dissemination and freedom of expression. I also pointed out the unintended dangers these proposed laws posed to society.

In sum, in the form these Bills were presented they threatened to criminalise all forms of digital expression in a country which wants to be seen by the world as tolerant of diverse views, even if there are no political parties participating in the governance of the country. However, during the uprising of 2021, the major online publications that cropped up to push for change, I must say, also relied heavily on disinformation and downright lies to get an edge over what one could refer to as the mainstream media.

For instance, in the early days of July 2021, it was widely reported that King Mswati had fled the country and had gone into exile as the civil unrest gained momentum. In other words, the world was told that a coup had succeeded Eswatini hardly a week after the unrest had begun. When some of us tried to point out that this was not true, the blowback was vicious from those driving this disinformation campaign together with their followers. There were many more stories to come that were just not factually correct told by those who were pushing the change agenda.

What this tells us is that the attacks on the media have come from all fronts in this country. I dare to even say that equal to the government, so are those who seek political change Eswatini just as hostile towards the media and journalists. During that period when the uprising was gaining momentum, in my capacity as a journalist, I was invited to a radio talk show in South Africa to give my views on the political unrest here. During that interview, where I was part of a panel that included representatives from some of this country’s political groups, I made what I honestly thought was an innocuous, but very obvious comment. I said PUDEMO had hijacked this struggle for change and had made it theirs.

The response from those supporting the violence and calls for change were furious, after The Times picked up on the interview and published what I had said in their Sunday edition. I was lynched on social media, particularly Facebook. So much so that, one day, I received a call from a very senior police officer at Police Headquarters who told me that they had become aware that my life was in danger. He told me that they had actually dispatched a team to watch me for protection. It was a very scary time.

When the storm blew over, my comments began to die down, I approached Thulani, who was a PUDEMO man, to ask him what the farce was all about? He laughed at me and said “Badzinwa kutsi uyasimaka”. A loose translation of this would be that I was tripping the mass democratic movement in their quest for change with my comments. I never could make sense of Thulani’s comments because that was never my intention, but had said what I considered an obvious truth to an audience outside Eswatini. Is it, therefore, for government to take action and curtail freedom of expression when political agendas are pushed with distorted information and downright lies? My answer is simple; No!

One of the lessons that have come out of the Eswatini experience is that freedom of expression underscores one of the most important rights mankind has in its quest towards realising the values of self-determination. To curtail it, to punish those who use this basic human right, defeats the very purpose of mankind’s existence. The lesson that comes out of our experience is that freedom of expression, in its full spectrum, has this incredible ability to self-correct society, so that the untruths told by those who seek to deceive the masses, be it government or those fighting for freedom will eventually be called out by the very people they seek to capture when the facts are brought to bear.

That is why I strongly disagree with the use of other means, whether through legislation or brute force to curtail freedom of expression. Societies grow because, as has been said before, in the free market of exchange of ideas and information, people are empowered with the necessary tools to make their own choices and come to the right conclusions about their circumstances. Nobody should have a monopoly on information; not government and not those who seek to bring about political change in society. The people are entitled to make their choices, empowered with the full information available out there.

To read more of this article, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/feature/140021-unpacking-the-state-of-the-media-in-eswatini.html

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)Themba Masuku who was allegedly involved in killing of civilians, avoids press conferences amid looming US sanctions

By Wendy Magagula, Swaziland News, 9 May 2023

SOURCE

MBABANE: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Senator Themba Masuku, who was among the politicians who allegedly unleashed security forces to shoot and kill innocent civilians, is now avoiding to hold press conferences and issue human rights violations orders amid reports of looming targeted sanctions by United States (US).

Senator Christopher Coons tabled Resolution 174 in the US Parliament, the resolution amplifies calls for democracy in eSwatini and demands action against those violating human rights.

DPM Themba Masuku did not respond when asked by this Swaziland News why he is now avoiding press conferences, which was something he used to call almost every week.

Speaking to this Swaziland News on Tuesday evening, human rights lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi said some politicians fully understand what it means to be sanctioned by the United States.

“They fully understand what this means, once you are sanctioned by the US, even European countries will sanction you because these are allies,” said the human rights lawyer.

SWAZI MEDIA COMMENTARY

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