Swazi Media Commentary: Ministry of Information

Showing posts with label Ministry of Information. Show all posts

Monday, 31 August 2020

Swaziland proposes law with 10 year jail term for publishing ‘fake news’

The government in the absolute monarchy of Swaziland (eSwatini) has introduced a law aimed at censoring all forms of media which could lead to a 10-year jail sentence for people publishing ‘fake news’.

The kingdom ruled by King Mswati III as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch already has been labelled ‘not free’ by human rights groups.

A government gazette has been published detailing the proposed law. The bill will be piloted by the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology which is headed by the King’s daughter, Princess Sikhanyiso.

The Times of eSwatini reported that the bill states that any person who publishes any statement or fake news through any medium, including social media, with the intention to deceive any other person or group of persons commits an offence. On conviction a person would be liable to a fine not exceeding E10 million (US$600,000) or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both.

The new law would allow the courts to prosecute in some circumstances Swazi nationals who live outside of Swaziland. It also covers a wide range of offences including spamming and cyberstalking. Cyberstalking includes making false accusations, defamation and identity theft.

King Mswati who has been widely criticised by human rights groups controls much of the mainstream media in Swaziland. Nearly all broadcasting is state-controlled and one of the only two daily newspapers in the kingdom is in effect owned by the King. Formal censorship and self-censorship by journalists when reporting matters about the King is almost total.

In recent years news websites that call for human rights reforms in Swaziland have been launched. The editors of two of them are in exile in neighbouring South Africa after publishing articles deemed critical of the King. They face sedition charges if they return to Swaziland. There are also a number of Facebook sites and other social media platforms that carry material critical of the King.

Reporters Without Borders in its World Press Index released earlier in 2020 reported that there was no media freedom in Swaziland. It reported, ‘No court is allowed to prosecute or try members of the government, but any criticism of the regime is liable to be the subject of a prosecution. Far from being an independent protector of rights and freedoms, the judicial system is often used to undermine journalism.’

Freedom House scored Swaziland 16 out of a possible 100 points in its Freedom in the World 2019 report. It concluded that Swaziland was ‘not free’.

Freedom House stated, ‘The King exercises ultimate authority over all branches of the national government and effectively controls local governance through his influence over traditional chiefs. Political dissent and civic and labor activism are subject to harsh punishment under sedition and other laws. Additional human rights problems include impunity for security forces and discrimination against women and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people.’

In Swaziland political parties are barred from taking part in elections. Groups advocating for democracy are outlawed under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Wednesday, 20 November 2019

Swaziland Govt minister is far from truth when she praises media freedom in kingdom

Princess Sikhanyiso, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology in Swaziland (eSwatini), was just plain misleading when she told a meeting of editors in the kingdom, ‘A free media is not an optional extra. Therefore it is our duty to protect media freedom.’

There is very little media freedom in Swaziland, where one of the only two daily newspapers is owned by King Mswati who rules the kingdom as an absolute monarch.

All broadcast news is controlled by the government, whose members are handpicked by the King.

Princess Sikhanyiso is a daughter of the King and was not elected by the people. In Swaziland, all political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King appoints all government ministers. He also appoints top public servants and senior judges.

Princess Sikhanyiso made her comment on Wednesday (20 November 2019) at a meeting of the Swaziland Editors Forum.

Her comment is demonstrably false. In its most recent annual report on human rights in Swaziland covering 2018, the United States State Department stated, ‘The constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for the press, but the government restricted this right, particularly with respect to press freedom and matters concerning the monarchy. Although no law bans criticism of the monarchy, the prime minister used threats and intimidation to restrict such criticism.

‘The law empowers the government to ban publications if it deems them “prejudicial or potentially prejudicial to the interests of defense, public safety, public order, public morality, or public health.” Many journalists practiced self-censorship. Journalists expressed fear of reporting on matters involving the monarchy.’

The report added, ‘Broadcast media remained firmly under state control. Most persons obtained their news from radio broadcasts. Access to speak on national radio is generally restricted to government officials, although a leader of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland received an opportunity in September to share trade union frustrations and demands.’

A report compiled by Swazi Media Commentary in May 2019 detailing attacks on journalists in Swaziland during the previous 12 months revealed they had been beaten by state forces and teachers as they tried to cover public events. Two were detained at the Qatar Embassy in Mbabane, the Swazi capital, when they went to question a diplomat. A government minister called for a journalist to be arrested for taking photographs of ministerial cars parked in a public place. A former newspaper editor was questioned by police about allegations he had interviewed members of banned political organisations back in 2011.

In April 2019 it was reported that a journalist on the Swazi Observer needed hospital treatment after he was beaten by family members of a prominent bishop when he was investigating allegations of the bishop’s sexual relationship with a schoolgirl. He needed hospital treatment. Five people were later charged by police.

In July 2018, Health Minister Ndlela-Simelane called on police to arrest a Swazi Observer journalist who was photographing government ministers’ cars outside the Deputy Prime Minister’s office. She demanded that the photographs be deleted which the journalist did. The newspaper had previously published a report about government ministers’ BMW cars being in a bad state of repair. It was checking a government claim that the vehicles had been repaired and were back on the road.

In August 2018, police and prison warders beat up a Times of Swaziland journalist and demanded he delete photographs he took of them attacking and shooting at striking textile workers at Nhlangano. The reporter was treated in hospital. More than 200 paramilitary police and correctional facility warders with riot shields, helmets and batons had been at Nhlangano. It had been the third police attack on workers in a week.

Human rights groups condemned the attack. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabawe chapter called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to investigate Swaziland after a series of ‘state-sponsored violations against journalists’.

It called the police attack, ‘an increasingly worrying development involving state security agents’. It pointed out that in February 2018 a photojournalist with the Swazi Observer had also been attacked after he took pictures of a convoy of overcrowded vehicles transporting prison wardens.

MISA called the attacks, ‘a direct attack on the rights to free expression and press freedom as explicitly protected in Section 24 of eSwatini’s Constitution. Yet State security forces continue to attack journalists with impunity.’

It called on SADC to look into ‘these continued state-sponsored violations against journalists. It is high time the regional body condemned the continued use of state security agents to violate fundamental rights such as the right to free expression and the right to access information.’

MISA Swaziland chapter said it was concerned the attacks on journalists were taking place ahead of national elections which were held in September 2018. It stated, ‘The law enforcement agents ought to know that journalists play a public service of disseminating information that emaSwati [Swazi people] need desperately to make informed decisions and choices.’

It added, ‘Whosoever attacks journalists in line of duty, stands accused of violating emaSwati’s constitutional right to information.’

Separately, the Panos Institute Southern Africa said the state attacks on journalists were unconstitutional. In a statementit said, ‘Journalism is not a crime, but is a freedom that must be cherished and protected by all who are concerned about the region’s development. Any attack on press freedom is a blow on the implementation of poverty eradication interventions, as the media is a strategic ally in the roll-out of national development programmes.’

In September 2018, a photojournalist with the Swazi Observer was assaulted and had his camera taken while covering protest march by schoolteachers. He was hit with open hands and fists and he sustained injuries on the face and body. His camera was taken but later recovered. It happened near the United States Embassy in Mbabane while teachers marched to deliver a petition seeking support in their campaign for higher salaries.

In October 2018, the Qatar embassy in Swaziland detained two journalists from the Times of Swaziland for more than an hour in the kingdom’s capital, Mbabane. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported a senior diplomat tried to make them sign a statement barring them from publishing a report about his alleged involvement in an assault.

The journalists refused to sign, saying the story was in the public interest. They were released and later went to local police to lay a charge of kidnapping.

Times of Swaziland editor Martin Dlamini told CPJ, ‘We are shocked that our journalists could be subjected to such treatment by an ambassador. This is not just a serious attack on the local media but displays disrespect toward the country.’

In November 2018, Musa Ndlangamandla, a former editor-in-chief of the Swazi Observer and a writer for South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper, was questioned by police for talking to banned political parties for articles he had written in 2011.

He wrote on his Facebook page, ‘They told me they are building a case against me for interacting (they actually called it advertising) PUDEMO, Umbane and other entities they described as proscribed.’

Richard Rooney

See also

Censorship total at Swazi state media

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/05/censorship-total-at-swazi-state-media.html

Journalists say they are under threat

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/journalists-say-they-are-under-threat.html

Editor wants media freedom inquiry

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/04/editor-wants-media-freedom-inquiry.html

Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Swaziland MP accuses phone company MTN of bugging callers

A member of parliament in Swaziland / eSwatini has accused mobile phone company MTN of listening in on customers.

It is not the first time the company has been accused of doing this.

Robert Magongo, the Motshane MP, told the House of Assembly MTN staffers listened on to their conversations. He said there was no privacy. He called on the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Princess Sikhanyiso, to take ‘serious action’ on the matter.

The Times of Swaziland reported, ‘He said he would be forced to move a motion calling for the closure of MTN if they continued with this behaviour.’ MTN is one of only two mobile phone operators in the kingdom.

The minister is expected to respond within a week. Princess Sikhanyiso was appointed to the job by her father who rules Swaziland as the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa.

In June 2017 some senior politicians in Swaziland said they feared their phones were being tapped. The Sunday Observer reported at the time, ‘House of Assembly Speaker Themba Msibi, when interviewed about the possibility of hearing devices and phones being tapped, said, “I too have concerns as at times calls sound hollow, making one suspect that a third party could be listening in.”’

Minister of Economic Planning Prince Hlangusemphi said he had heard rumours with nothing official and concrete to substantiate them.

The newspaper reported, ‘Minister of Natural Resources Jabulile Mashwama said rumours of bugging have been around since time immemorial.’

In July 2013 the Times of Swaziland newspaper reported the Lobamba MP Majahodvwa Khumalo said his cellphone had been bugged ever since he started being ‘vocal against some people’.

It is legal in certain circumstances to tap phones in Swaziland. The Suppression of Terrorism Act gives police the right to listen in on people’s conversations if they have the permission of the Attorney General.

When the Act came into law in 2008 Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini said that anyone who criticised the government could be considered a terrorist sympathiser.

In 2011, a journalist working in Swaziland for the AFP international news agency reported on her blog that her phone calls were being listened in to.

In August 2011 Wikileaks published a cable from the US Embassy in Swaziland that revealed the Swazi Government had tried to get MTN, then the only mobile phone provider in the kingdom, to use its network for ‘surveillance on political dissidents’.

Tebogo Mogapi, the MTN chief executive officer (CEO) in Swaziland, refused to comply and later did not have his work permit renewed and so had to leave the kingdom, the cable said.

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