‘NO INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN ESWATINI’

Wed 18 September 2024:

The government in neighbouring Eswatini continually oppresses its people and denies them an independent media. That is according to Lucky Lukhele, spokesperson of the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN).

Speaking in an interview with Salaamedia on Wednesday, Lukhele said media outlets in Eswatini were not free to report critically on important events in their country.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________
“In actual fact, there is no independent media in Swaziland. Even the little space that these ones have, they are not really independent because they are forced, systematically, to report positively on the government

“If you do not report positively, the publication will not get adverts from government parastatals, from government institutions,” he said.

Lukhele’s comments came soon after a government spokesperson confirmed they were considering shutting down the country’s editors’ forum in response to a heated exchange between Bheki Makhubu, editor of The Nation magazine, and PM Russell Dlamini last week.

“To protect the office of the prime minister, the government has taken a decision to redesign how the public will be informed about government business and issues of national importance going forward,” said Alpheus Nxumalo.

Lukhele said this was “a continuation of the oppression of the people of Swaziland”. He also highlighted prevention of internet access, saying: “As and when it suits the Swazi government, the internet is switched off for the citizens if there are sensitive issues.”

According to Reporters Without Borders, the Eswatini government has full control over broadcast media. “Almost all media outlets are controlled, directly or indirectly, by Mswati III, the autocratic king in power since 1986,” it notes.

written by Zahid Jadwat

This article originally published in Salaamedia click here