The Government of Swaziland has banned the privately-owned Times of Swaziland Sunday newspaper from publishing weekly opinionated articles by leader of the banned opposition party, Mario Masuku, who is President of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO).In a letter addressed to the newspapers editor, Innocent Maphalala, the Attorney General (AG), Majahenkhaba Dlamini, said they regarded the PUDEMO leader as a terrorist and did not understand why the newspaper allowed him to write his weekly articles.
This is the same PUDEMO which was declared a terrorist entity last year. The entity or anybody on its behalf has never denied or challenged the declaration. And there you are giving all the publicity and support as if the entity or its members are legitimate persons. In any effort to deal with the entity or member of the entity, you and your newspaper cannot avoid being identified with the entity or its member(s), the Attorney General was quoted by the newspaper to have said in his letter.
The AG further reminded the newspaper that promoting or giving support to terrorists remained a crime in Swaziland. I cannot understand why terrorists should have anything to do with your newspaper. Whether you believe them to be terrorists or not is not the issue. Your belief about them is irrelevant as far as the law is concerned, the newspaper was warned.
As a result of the government threat, the newspaper has resolved to suspend Masukus articles pending consultations on the matter. Editor, Maphalala, said they will consult on what to do with Masukus weekly column in the wake of the government threat and censorship act. Masuku, on the other hand, was quoted by the newspaper to have said he understood the newspapers position and respected their decision to suspend his articles.
The MISA-Swaziland has expressed shock at the blatant act by the government to censor both Masuku and the Times newspaper. To this end, MISA-Swaziland strongly condemns the act by the government, and notes with great concern that the government action not only perpetuates the state of fear and censorship in the Swazi media, but also violates the basic principles of freedom of expression, a fundamental human right also guaranteed in the Swaziland constitution. The government action also greatly interferes with the editorial independence of the newspaper.
MISA-Swaziland has therefore appealed to the government to allow Masuku and any other Swazi citizen to exercise their right to free expression and further allow the Times newspaper to exercise its editorial independence without undue interference and threats. MISA-Swaziland further notes with concern that the government action signals a bad start for the media in the New Year.
However, MISA commends the Times for coming out to expose the government for its bullying action to censor the newspaper and not choose to suffer in silence.
Background
Masuku was recently acquitted by the High Court on terrorism charges preferred on him by the government for comments he made during a funeral of a political activist. He has constantly been harassed by the government for his political beliefs.
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