(From Swazi Media Commentary 19 October 2010 www.swazimedia.blogspot.com Also
on Face book at
http://www.facebook.com/Swazi.Media.Commentary?v=wall#!/group.php?gid=142383985790674&ref=ts).
Barnabas
Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed
Prime Minister, who humiliated himself and
the kingdom earlier this month by accepting
a ‘humanitarian’ medal from a conman,
is set to embarrass himself again on the international stage.
This
time Dlamini thinks he is so powerful that he can censor a South
African newspaper. He is annoyed because City Press from
Johannesburg published an article in its edition on Sunday (17 October
2010) criticising the Swazi Government and its running of the economy.
The City Press reported that Dlamini and the
Minister of Finance Majozi Sithole had travelled to Washington ‘cap in
hand’ to request financial assistance from the World Bank. Dlamini was
also annoyed that the newspaper published a comment from Mario
Masuku, President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO),
an organisation banned in Swaziland.
Questioned in the Swaziland parliament yesterday, Dlamini said, ‘We will deal
with this. We have prepared a statement and we
will see to it that the newspaper will publish our response.’
I
assume that when he says the newspaper ‘will publish our response’ he
means the statement will appear as a paid advertisement; because that’s
the only way he can ensure its publication (always assuming that the City Press
decides to accept it).
There
is no other way Dlamini can force the City Press to
publish his statement. He must remember that it is only in Swaziland
where he has control over the majority of the news media. He is
editor-in-chief of the state-run radio, SBIS, and state-run TV, Swazi
TV. The Swazi Observer and its companion the Weekend
Observer are both in effect owned by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s
last absolute monarch, so are under
Dlamini’s cosh.
But
outside of the kingdom it’s a different matter. He has no power over
the South African media and I look forward to the City Press
telling him to take a running jump.
But
the fact that Dlamini actually believes that he can control the foreign
press demonstrates how out of touch with reality he is.
I
look forward to hearing him explain to MPs why it was the City
Press wouldn’t publish his statement.
Link
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/swazi-pm-to-censor-foreign-press.html
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