CENSORSHIP KILLS SWAZI JOURNALISM

I doubt if many readers of this blog would have missed the irony in the Swazi Observer’s report yesterday (4 September 2009) on censorship in the media.

The Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, is the most censored and self-censoring of the print media in Swaziland.

But yesterday, it reported in some detail a speech by Bonsile Dlamini, chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Swaziland chapter criticising curtailments of media freedom in the kingdom.

Dlamini said censorship was so bad that it is killing the journalism profession. Those in the Swazi leadership do not want to be put on the spotlight when it comes to good governance and democracy, Dlamini said.

The Observer quoted Dlamini saying, ‘If truth be told we are not comfortable to handle difference in opinion hence we tend to think it is foreign and unSwazi. We are still locked in the old order where traditional ideologies of customary belief systems continue to fight change with all might and we do not feel comfortable to embrace what is internationally acceptable as tenets of democracy, rule of law, assembly and that of freedom of expression and association.’

She was making the opening address to delegates at the MISA Regional annual general meeting in Swaziland.

‘As long as the media is not free to discuss democracy in Swaziland, as long as political activity is not allowed then we are in trouble because that hinders issues of freedom of speech and is not acceptable in this time and age,’ she said.

As I have reported many times before, journalists in Swaziland are censored by, or censor themselves, to such an extent that people are not getting a true picture of what is really happening in Swaziland. In research I conducted for MISA in 2008, journalists told me they were particularly frightened of reporting about King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, and his family. (To see the full research click here)

This is why the media in Swaziland did not report on the shopping trip made by five of the king’s wives recently at an estimated cost of E50 million (6 million US dollars) to the ordinary Swazis.

Dlamini in her address said there were a number of cases where newspapers and magazines in Swaziland were closed down for transgressing on these rules.

‘Journalists have also lost their jobs or have had their careers stunted for showing dissent. We are seeking your indulgence on how we can liberate ourselves from the scourge of fear and intimidation,’ she told her audience.

JOURNALISM 'SWAZI OBSERVER' STYLE

Journalism Swazi Observer style

Her Majesty the Queen Mother left Swaziland for a visit to Mozambique to honour an invitation by that country’s first lady, Maria da Luz Dai Guebuza. She left by Matsapha Airport and was seen off by Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, Cabinet Ministers, Liqoqo members and other well-wishers. Accompanying the Queen Mother were Princess Msalela, Prince Masitsela, Housing and Local Government Minister Lindiwe Dlamini and others. The ‘story’ ran over pages 4 and 5 yesterday (3 September 2009). Coverage in the international media = Nil

Five of King Mswati III’s 13 wives went on a worldwide shopping spree at a cost of E50 million (6 million US dollars). Coverage in the Swazi Observer = Nil. Coverage across the globe = massive.

Editor’s Note: The Swazi Observer is in effect owned by King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

OPPOSITION TO PUBLIC SERVICE BILL

The Swaziland Government faces more international criticism over its decision to sack public servants who show an interest in politics.

The government has introduced the Public Service Bill that says it will be an offence for a public servant to be ‘visibly associated’ with a political formation or organisation. It will also be an offence to be a member of a political party. Officers found guilty will be dismissed from their jobs.

The trade union organisation FOA – Fag og Arbejde – which has 200,000 members in Denmark has written to Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed prime minister, to say that the Public Service Bill will ‘make it practically impossible for public servants to exercise their right to organize themselves in political formations.

‘The law is formulated in such a way, so it can be used to suppress the trade union movements and hinder their effort to represent the members’ social and economic interests.’

‘We see that the real purpose of the bill is top intimidate anyone who speaks out against the government of Swaziland.’

FOA points out that the Public Services Bill violates several international conventions that Swaziland has in fact signed up to.

FOA has vowed to continue to put pressure on the Swaziland Government through the International Labour Organisation, the Danish Government, Public Service International and the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, in Swaziland today (4 September 2009) labour unions will petition the Prime Minister’s office and Parliament calling for the revocation of the Public Service Bill.

A joint public statement issued this week by the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) and Swaziland Federation of Labour (SFL) said, ‘This follows the disregard by the government of Swaziland to the various calls by the labour federations, the public sector employees and the public at large on the provisions of the Public Service Bill.’

SILENCE ON SWAZILAND REED DANCE

Am I the only one to have been surprised by the near total lack of interest by the international media in this year’s Umhlanga Reed Dance?

In the past there has been TV, radio and newspaper coverage of the tale of King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, and his dancing bare-breasted maidens, complete with speculation that one of the lucky virgins will get chosen to be the king’s next wife.

I’ve written often enough in the past about how the media have covered the Reed Dance (click here) in the past so I won’t repeat myself here.

The Swazi media, of course, gave extensive coverage. The Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, claimed that 130,000 maidens danced. We should take this figure with a degree of caution, since the South Africa Press Association (SAPA) put the total at a more modest 80,000.

The SAPA report was the only one I saw in the international media. Among the dancers was a nine-year-old girl from South Africa, but SAPA does not say if she was bare breasted or not.

Unless there was any doubt about what the true purpose of the Reed Dance is, consider this extract from SAPA’s report.

‘During the four-hour event, children sang songs which glorified Mswati and condemned his enemies.

‘”This land is your land our king, your enemies want to destroy you,” they sang.’

If you are suffering withdrawal symptoms because of a lack of pictures from the Red Dance you might like to look at this video, posted on Joe Dodson’s Adventures in Swaziland blog and presumably shot by him.

SWAZI BORDER DEMOCRACY PROTEST

Media release

Swaziland Campaign for Democracy

Join us for global days of action in support of the Swazi people’s struggle for democracy

4^th September, 2009

@ Oshoek Border Post, Mpumalanga

In solidarity with the people of Swaziland who toil under impossible conditions to eke out a meager existence to maintain their dignity, the Campaign for democracy in Swaziland calls on

· SADC to place the issue of “Democracy Now” for Swaziland high on their agenda, and in so-doing we call on SADC to remove King Mswati from the organ Troika on Politics, defense and Security Cooperation.

· We call for the immediate and unconditional release of PUDEMO President Mario Masuku,

· We call for the immediate unbanning of People’s Organisations

· And finally we call on the South African Government to terminate its working relations and support of all dictators including Swaziland.

September 6^th marks 41 years of Swaziland’s independence from British colonial rule. Unfortunately, for the majority of Swazi’s, independence rings hollow and is evidenced by the fact that seventy percent of the one million population live in abject poverty earning less than one US dollar a day. Up to 600,000 people had to receive some form of food aid in the past 18 months to fend off starvation. HIV/Aids was taken a heavy toll, with more than 40% of the population believed to be infected. In Swaziland, 1 in 3 girls has experienced sexual violence by age 18. 22% of Swazi women between ages of 15 and 24 are HIV positive. Life expectancy has plummeted to one of the lowest in the world,: 40 years (men), 39 years (women) (UN)



Meanwhile, King Mswati has amassed a personal fortune worth 200 million US dollars, as the beneficiary of two funds created by his father Sobhuza II in trust for the Swazi nation. During his reign, he has absolute personal discretion over use of the income. As well as his personal wealth, King Mswati receives money from the Swazi taxpayer. In this year’s Swaziland national budget he gets E130 million (about 16 million US dollars) for his family’s upkeep.



This is more than the money Swaziland will spend on capital expenditure for education (E113 million) or capital expenditure on social security and welfare (E73 million).

Or put another way, 70 percent of the families of one million Swazi people live on less than E10 a day, while the Royal Family gets by on a third of a million a day.

Media freedom and freedom of expression are non-existent in Swaziland. Political parties have been banned from operating since 1973. Members of political parties are hounded and languishing in jail on trumped up charges.

We call on all South Africans, Swazis and people of the region to support the “Day of Global Action for Democracy in Swaziland at the Oshoek Border post of the 4^th September. Transport from Johannesburg and Mpumalanga will be provided.

This marks the beginning of a series of activities aimed at supporting the Swazi people’s struggle for democracy and forcing Mswati to change and embrace democracy.

We also take this opportunity to announce the Joint Swazi Campaign Committee made up of representatives from both Swaziland and South Africa as agreed at the last Swazi-South Africa Consultative meeting held in Benoni on the 12^th August, 2009.

The Joint Swazi Campaign Committee is made up of;

1. Venitia Govender – Co-convenor, South Africa

2. Barnes Dlamini – Convenor, Swaziland

3. Jan Sithole - Swaziland

4. Vincent Ncongwane - Swaziland

5. Sipho Msibi – South Africa

6. Oupa Lebogo – South Africa

Operational support team (comprised of COSATU in South Africa):

1. George Mahlangu – Campaigns department

2. Bongani Masuku – International Department

3. Fidel Mlombo – Mpumalanga Province