BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has called on the media to continue working with Eswatini Government to expose corruption.
Dlamini also assured the media houses that Government strives to create an environment that would allow all credible media houses to operate freely in the country.
The premier also commended the media for embarking on a process of self-regulating themselves, to allow members of the public’s complaints about the media to be addressed.
Dlamini shared this message on his Facebook account, where he was wishing media workers in Eswatini a happy World Press Freedom day. He stated that Freedom of expression was enshrined in Eswatini’s Constitution, and His Majesty’s Government fully supported the freedom of the media and equally recognised its importance.
In his address, the prime minister praised the virtues of responsible journalism, reminding media personnel of the crucial role they played in disseminating factual information and reporting objectively, free of bias or personal interests.
Emphasising that the media’s power was not just a privilege but a duty, he underscored the importance of ethical reporting that adhered to the highest standards of fairness, truthfulness, accuracy, and impartiality.
He commended the media’s efforts to establish a self-regulatory mechanism, reiterating the government’s long-standing support for such a framework that would enhance the credibility and balance of the news media while affording Emaswati the opportunity to seek redress in cases of potential breaches of journalistic ethics. He underlined the significance of autonomy, emphasising that this regulatory body would be an industry-led initiative and not a government-directed one.
The issue of self-regulation by the media comes at a time when the prime minister has been accused of trying to let Government regulate the media. In March this year, the issue was discussed at length by the prime minister, during a breakfast meeting with Eswatini Editors Forum held at Mountain View in Mbabane.
Dlamini mentioned the need for the media to be regulated because sometimes, people were treated unfairly by the media. Mbabane East Member of Parliament (MP) Welcome Dlamini had earlier (November 30, 2023) suggested that the State should regulate the media because the media had failed to self-regulate for the past 20 years. This is something that did not sit well with certain media practitioners in the country and criticised the MP for having said this.
In an interview with Manqoba Nxumalo of The Bridge Podcast (March 22, 2024), Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo did point out that Government wanted to work cooperatively with the media to inform and educate the citizens of the country. He said it was not true that the prime minister wanted to muzzle the media, but he wanted the media to be responsible in executing its duties. The spokesperson even stated that that it was Government’s wish to be able to regulate the online media space, which was an industry that was growing at a very fast pace.
Regarding the fight against corruption, the premier declared that Government was all out to fight corruption when he launched the Anti-Corruption Task Team on February 12, 2024. This was about three days after His Majesty King Mswati III ordered Emaswati to fight corruption and make sure that corrupt individuals were thrown in jail. The King said this when opening the First Session of the 12th Parliament.
