KING’S PAPER CLAIMS 97% POLL TURNOUT

One of King Mswati III’s newspapers has claimed a 97 percent voter turnout in the Swaziland election held on Friday (20 September 2013).

The Weekend Observer, one of a group of newspapers in effect owned by the king, reported, ‘about 400,000 voters braved the scorching sun and went straight to the voting centres to cast their ballots as early as possible’. 

But, official figures from the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) state that only 411,084 Swazis living in Swaziland had registered to vote.

If the Weekend Observer report was correct, 97.3 percent of registered voters would have gone to the polling stations.

The Weekend Observer which is widely regarded, even within Swaziland, as a propaganda sheet for the monarchy, has been talking up the success of the polling.

It wrote, ‘The nation witnessed remarkable improvement in the national secondary elections on Friday and all credit can be given to the Elections and Boundaries Commission.’

The EBC, whose members were appointed by the king and is headed by one of his half-brothers, came under intense criticism for the shambles surrounding the nomination process and the primary elections held in August.

King Mswati, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, is keen to demonstrate the validity of the elections. Opposition groups called for a voter boycott because political parties were banned from taking part in the election and the parliament that is elected acts as a rubber stamp for the king.

King Mswati will choose the Prime Minister and his government and is not obliged to choose people elected to parliament.

It is important for King Mswati that there is a high voter turnout. At the last election in 2008 only 47.4 percent of the estimated 400,000 Swazi people eligible to vote did so. The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) in its report on the election attributed the low turnout in 2008 to a campaign for a boycott of the election by progressives in Swaziland.

It reported on the 2008 election, ‘The best indication we have of whether the boycott was a success or not is the voter turnout rate.’

It added, ‘In many ways the call by the trade unions, most of the political parties and many civil society organisations for a boycott of the election transformed the election into a referendum on the legitimacy of the new Constitution and the political order that it enshrines.’

EISA said, ‘From this we may conclude that large numbers of Swazis heeded the boycott call and thereby signalled their disenchantment with the current Constitutional dispensation.’

A low turnout in the 2013 election would confirm that.

See also

‘SWAZIS WANT CHANGE’ : POLL FIGURES

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/05/swazis-want-change-poll-figures.html

PAPER CENSORS REPORT ON KING

The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office presented a special case study of Swaziland in its annual Human Rights andDemocracy report published this week. 

It was a damning indictment of the human rights situation in Swaziland and made critical references to King Mswati III and the power he yields in his kingdom.

But, its contents were misrepresented in an articlepublished by the Weekend Observer newspaper in Swaziland on Saturday (20 April 2013).

Alec Lushaba, the Weekend Observer editor, who wrote the article, left out all references to King Mswati.  

Lushaba, in addition to being the Weekend Observer editor, is chair of the Swaziland chapter of the press freedom advocacy group Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).

First among the omissions he made from the UK report was that it labelled the king and his family, ‘sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarchy’.

It also went on to describe why Swaziland cannot be considered a democracy.

This is what the report said and the Weekend Observer in Swaziland left out.

‘Although Swaziland has a parliament, with elections due in 2013, there is no effective democracy. The King has the power summarily to appoint and dismiss ministers, all parliamentary candidates require the approval of their chief (who is dependent on the monarch for wealth and power) and while political parties are not forbidden, they are banned from participating in elections. All candidates must run as independents.’

Lushaba also missed out most of this section, ‘Swaziland continues to suffer from a range of governance problems which adversely impact human rights and inhibit the country’s social and economic development and its ability to attract much-needed foreign investment.

‘The judicial system has suffered repeated crises; the Suppression of Terrorism Act has been used to prevent legitimate expression of political views; peaceful protests have been disrupted and in some cases excessive force used against protesters.

‘The absence of clearly documented land rights has prevented small farmers from developing their land. Efforts to amend Swaziland’s laws to prevent domestic violence and to improve the legal status of women have made little progress.’

There are elections due in Swaziland this year that many democrats in the kingdom and much of the international diplomatic community consider bogus. They say political parties are banned from taking part and the parliament that will be selected has no powers and simply does the bidding of the king. They have called for a boycott of the election.

However, the Weekend Observer did report in a separate article that King Mswati in a speech to mark his 45th birthday, ‘urged all those planning to boycott the forthcoming national elections not to be afraid’.  

The Weekend Observer, which is in effect owned by the king, quoted him saying, ‘I urge the whole nation to take part in the forthcoming national elections. This is the time for your voice to be heard in the decision making process of the country.’

In January 2011, writing in his own newspaper, Lushabasaid the Weekend Observer would report, ‘without fear or favour all news of public interest’. 

He went on to say, ‘We are just a newspaper that serves the nation.’

See also

MISA CHAIR BACKS MISOGYNIST WRITER

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/12/misa-chair-backs-misogynist-writer.html

SWAZI OBSERVER MUST STOP LYING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/01/swazi-observer-must-stop-lying.html

‘SWAZI OBSERVER’ EDITORS REINSTATED

Media Institute of Southern Africa - Swaziland Chapter

Media Alert, 22 March 2013

Reinstatement of Swazi Observer Editors

The Media Institute of Southern Africa - Swaziland Chapter welcomes the decision by the Swazi Observer Board of Directors to reinstate editors, Alec Lushaba and Thulani Thwala after the eight months of unjustified suspension. In a statement issued by the Swazi Observer Board Chairman Sthofeni Ginindza earlier this week, ‘there was no sufficient reason for the suspension of the Swazi Observer daily and Weekend Observer editors.’

We as MISA Swaziland commend the Swazi Observer board for dealing with this matter in the prudent manner they did. We further share the same belief with the board regarding the important role that professionals play in organizations; particularly members of the media profession. Media freedom is a right not only to be enjoyed by journalists but also by members of the public who depend on media reports to make informed decisions on their daily life, hence bad conditions for journalists will have negative impacts on the public.

Freedom of the press is a right guaranteed by the Constitution of the kingdom of Swaziland and other regional and international instruments to which Swaziland is a state party. The job security of journalists should be respected just like all other professionals who are treated with dignity and high esteem. Therefore the unjustifiable suspension and dismissal of journalists in media houses should be condemned to the highest order. We hope other media houses will take a leaf from the Observer Board and ensure the job security of journalists. MISA Swaziland strives to see an environment that is open for journalists to practise their profession.

‘OBSERVER’ ROW APOLOGY DEMANDED

A row is brewing between media houses in Swaziland and the Swazi Observer newspaper group, which is in effect owned by King Mswati III. Last Friday (11 January 2013), Observer managing director Alpheous Nxumalo wrote in his own newspaper accusing Swazi media of undermining traditional authorities in Swaziland and by extension the king himself.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa, Swaziland chapter, has already issued a statement demanding that Nxumalo gives evidence to back his accusations.

Now it has written to S’thofeni Ginindza, Chairman of the Observer Group of Newspapers (below) demanding a written letter with answers from Nxumalo or failing that ‘we demand an apology within 14 days’.

14th January 2013

Mr. S’thofeni Ginindza

Chairman

Observer Group of Newspapers

P.P. Box A

Swazi Plaza

Dear Sir

RE: MANAGING DIRECTOR’S COLUMN ARTICLE – I SUBMIT

As a media freedom watchdog organisation, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)–Swaziland Chapter registers its grave concerns at the following serious allegations made by Mr. Alpheous Nxumalo, as Managing Director of Swazi Observer, in his column titled The Diplomat on Friday last week:

• I also agree with the observation that the media in Swaziland may be and is being turned into an object for donors, activist and NGOs, who seem to have a voice and right to vent their rage and intimidation.

• The media has been used as lillipads to attack the government and other subordinate institutions with impunities. This has all been done in the name of freedom of the press. 

 

• I submit that media freedom should not be an instrument for subversive manipulation of society. The freedom of the media should not be an instrument for unleashing insults and disrespect but to educate/inform the public while promoting mutual respect and mutual responsibility. It should not be an instrument to undermine legitimately constituted authority. 

 

• I submit today that as a Swazi patriot, I will not submit to those brutal and heartless cabals, who subvert the national institutions such as the monarchy and the government in order to advance the agenda of radicalising the Swazi nation against bukhosi nahulumende weMaSwati. 

 

• I agree with F.W. de Klerk that all revolutionary forces sought to overthrow incumbent Governments by mobilising the masses, by making countries ungovernable, by fermenting strikes, by involving churches, trade unions and civil society in their campaigns; by using propaganda to destroy the image and undermine the confidence of governments; by eliminating opposition through the use of terrorism and intimidation and by applying underhand and dirty political tactics to distract their perceived enemies. 

•  All these are perpetrated through the media and other avenues. 

• Media freedoms without media responsibilities are media witchcraft (butsakatsi). 

• These pawns destroy the infrastructures, bomb bridges and government institutions, maliciously damage property, insult the Monarchy, vilify the national flag and intimidate political figures and even violently attack their homes with petrol bombs. Violence will never democratise Swaziland. Insulting the monarchy and radicalising the Swazi nation against the institutions of the Monarchy, will never Democratise Swaziland.

• Some of us are better off sitted at home than being ‘pawns’ or ‘political zombies’ through which certain political forces and elements serve their compromised and perverted mandates.

We view the above as serious allegations against the media and NGOs to be made by a senior executive of a national newspaper which serves the nation. As a media NGO, we also take an exception to such unfounded allegations.

Mr. Chairman, you may have heard of our journalism mantra Name and Shame Them.  We, MISA Swaziland, implore you to tell the Swazi Observer Managing Director Alpheous Nxumalo to substantiate and clarify his allegations. Let him name and shame the sponsored ‘pawns’, lillipads, media and NGOs pushing the terrorist agenda. As a media watchdog organisation and our partners, we are ready to weed out the corrupt people from the NGOs and media houses with his assistance. 

We demand a written letter with answers from Mr. Nxumalo. Failing which we demand an apology within 14 days.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours truly

Vuyisile S. Hlatshwayo

NATIONAL DIRECTOR

MISA SWAZILAND

See also

EDITORS ATTACK KING’S NEWSPAPER BOSS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/01/editors-attack-kings-newspaper-boss.html

NO PRESS FREEDOM AT ‘OBSERVER’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/01/no-press-freedom-at-observer-md.html