POLICE ‘LEAKED’ SEX SCANDAL PHOTOS

Swazi Police are being accused of leaking these photos of Ndumiso Mamba, the then Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, as he was caught in an adulterous affair with King Mswati III’s 12^th wife.

Two photos of Mamba hiding in the bottom of a divan bed in a hotel room circulated across the world. They were taken after police and security forces raided the room where he was with Inkhosikati LaDube.

Now, Barnabas Dlamini, the illegally-appointed Prime Minister of Swaziland, has been questioned in Parliament about who took the pictures and how they leaked out to international bloggers and the news media.

Dlamini was told the publication of the pictures embarrassed Swaziland. But in a surreal moment, nobody would actually admit what the photos showed. Of course, although news of the illicit sexual affair between Mamba and LaDube was publicised across the world, the Swazi media were not allowed to report on it. So (officially at least) nobody in Swaziland knows what dirty deeds the queen and Mamba got up to.

In Parliament, Dlamini admitted the pictures had been leaked by police, but investigations are continuing, he said.

He said from time to time police were trained in how to handle scenes of crime and added perhaps it was time for a refresher course.

He said it was not only the police who were involved in the matter as other security forces were too.

SWAZI SENATORS ATTACK FACEBOOK

Swaziland senators are so worried that the truth about the Swazi Royal Family is getting out to the wider world they want to censor the Internet.

And top of their list of victims is Facebook, the social networking site.

Swaziland’s Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Nelisiwe Shongwe told the senate that the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, is looking at laws to control cyberspace.

Shongwe was reacting to complaints that Swazi reporters were leaking information to the South Africa media that was censored in Swaziland.

Although they didn’t say so out loud, they were referring to the recent sex scandal involving the 12th wife of King Mswati, 22-year-old Nothando Dube, (also known as Inkhosikati LaDube) and Ndumiso Mamba, the (now former) Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister.

Media in Swaziland have been banned from reporting this, but South African newspapers and Internet sites all over the world have published news and comment on their alleged adultery.

One senator, Ndileka Dlamini, rather sinisterly called on the Swazi Government to ‘deal’ with any local reporter found to be leaking ‘sensitive news’.

She called for a sense of ‘patriotism’ from journalists.

‘They must learn to respect the country and know that what they are doing is wrong. They must know that action will be taken against them for doing such,’ the Times of Swaziland quoted Dlamini saying during a senate debate.

Senator Khephu Cindzi shared similar sentiments and asked the minister if social networking sites could be regulated to protect the country’s image.

There must be control on things like Facebook because it is being abused. They discuss sensitive issues anyhow, he said.

In response Shongwe said the senators’ concerns were justified. ‘It is true that sometimes the content is not good to be publicised and, besides, children use these sites. As part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) we are looking at cyber laws to protect ourselves from such things,’ she said.

I flatter myself that I am one of the culprits complained of. So in the spirit of freedom of the media I invite any Swaziland senator to defend their position on the Swazi Media Commentary Facebook site. Senators just click here.

BANNED ‘CITY PRESS’ WILL GO ON SALE

City Press will try to distribute copies in Swaziland tomorrow (Sunday 15 August 2010), despite fears that it has been banned in the kingdom.

The South African newspaper that is on sale in Swaziland, has drawn international attention over the past two Sundays for its reporting of the Swazi Royal Family sex scandal.

It was reported earlier this week that City Press had been ‘unofficially’ banned in Swaziland, which is ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Reports in the African media said Swaziland security forces were apparently instructed to buy all copies of the City Press that were on sale in the kingdom.

Melanie-Ann Feris, managing editor of City Press, said, ‘The paper is not aware of being officially banned in Swaziland. We will continue to distribute the paper to our outlets there this weekend.’

Swazi police deny there is an official ban. City Press quoted Superintendent Wendy Hleta, the deputy public relations officer for the police, saying claims that the paper was banned were unfounded and untrue.

ACTIVIST COULD FACE 50 CENTS FINE

The man arrested for photocopying a news report on the Swazi Royal Family sex scandal could face a maximum two months in prison or a fine of 50 cents (US).

No really. The absurdity of the arrest of Sibusiso Mhlanga knows no bounds.

Regular readers will know that Mhlanga was arrested by a plain clothed police officer in Manzini when he tried to get a photocopy of a City Press newspaper report on the (alleged) adultery of (now former) Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ndumiso Mamba, and King Mswati III’s 12^th wife, Nothando Dube (also known as Inkhosikati LaDube).

Police said they would charge Mhlanga with copyright infringement. Mhlanga, aged 31, is a member of the Swazi Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), the youth wing of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). Both are considered ‘terrorist entities’ in Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

No one believes that a plain clothed police officer just happened to be passing by when Mhlanga tried to get his photocopy. Reports of his arrest and his role as a pro-democracy activist have circulated the world since yesterday.

No matter how it tries the Swaziland state has not been able to keep a lid on the Royal Family sex scandal and what it says about King Mswati and the way he oppresses the Swazi people.

And the 50 cents? Copyright law in Swaziland dates back to 1912. If convicted you are liable to a fine not exceeding E4 [about 50 US cents], with the maximum fine not exceeding E100. In Swaziland, the legal system provides for fines or imprisonment as an alternative. The imprisonment term imposed by the Act does not exceed a period of two months.

SEX SCANDAL NEWSPAPER ‘BANNED’

The City Press newspaper that broke the story about the Swaziland Royal Family sex scandal has been banned from the kingdom – but only ‘unofficially’.

The City Press is a South African Sunday newspaper, but it is on sale in Swaziland. For the past two weeks it ran stories about an (alleged) adulterous relationship between (now former) Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ndumiso Mamba, and King Mswati III’s 12^th wife, Nothando Dube (also known as Inkhosikati LaDube).

Now, reports in the African media say Swaziland security forces were apparently instructed to buy all copies of the City Press that were on sale in the kingdom.

African Eye reports, ‘“There were reports that people could not get the paper last weekend in Swaziland, and our sources...also called on Tuesday asking if we know that we have been banned,’ said City Press executive editor Japhet Ncube on Wednesday. “Our lawyers are looking into this issue and steps will probably be taken if it's true, otherwise there is no official report on this.”'

Spokesperson for the Swaziland chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Swaziland), Michael Motsa, said there was no law the Swaziland authorities could use to ban City Press or any other paper.

‘“Yes, there are rumours that City Press has been banned from circulation in the kingdom, but I don't think there is any truth to that. If it is true, we will condemn this and call for the unbanning of the paper based on the fact that there is no legislation calling for banning of newspapers that report negatively about the royal family,” said Motsa on Wednesday.’ (11 August 2010).

While the royal sex scandal has not been covered in the Swaziland media, South African Sunday newspapers City Press, Sunday Sun and the Sunday Independent have reported on it.

SEX SCANDAL AND MEDIA CENSORSHIP

I have written a commentary for the Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ) blogsite on the censorship of the Swaziland media following the Swazi Royal Family sex scandal.

It puts the present situation in the larger context of censorship and self-censorship in the media and the role King Mswati III plays in keeping a muzzle on free speech.

To read the commentary, click here.