Times of Swaziland apologies to PUDEMO. “PUDEMO unhappy with Swazi media”
By The Editor <http://www.times.co.sz/author/The%20Editor.html> on January 30,2011 *Sir,*** We wish to correct the unfortunate, incorrect and highly misleading assertion by the media in Swaziland, in particular most recently the Times Group of Newspapers that the African United Democratic Party (AUDP) "is a breakaway wing of PUDEMO." No matter how many times this can be repeated, it will not distort the truth. PUDEMO has neither links nor history with the AUDP. We share nothing in common ideologically and otherwise. The formation of the AUDP has got nothing to do with PUDEMO – period! We cannot recall in our history where the founders of the AUDP decided to walk out of PUDEMO and announce they were breaking away to form their own organisation. We humbly request the local media to therefore, correctly identify the AUDP and allow it to do its operations without the media linking it to PUDEMO, especially its formation and history – lest this be accepted as truthful when in fact, it is not. We may never know what the intension of the media is by constantly reporting and misleading its readership on this matter. If it is not intentional and deliberate, then we forgive them with the understanding that this will not happen ever again in the future. However, if this is deliberately done by the media in general or by individuals within the media, then we have no choice but to conclude that there is a deliberate ploy to undermine PUDEMO, a very unfortunate scenario journalistically. Such negative and incorrect reporting on PUDEMO and its members has been happening in the past and were forced to approach the former Managing Editor Martin Dlamini to correct with his reporting staff. Such incorrect and misleading captions were: ‘PUDEMO hijacks…" "PUDEMO turns … into a political rally." We are also aware that at times, the local media does not publish the correct information that we give it on the pretext that we are a banned organisation. Surprisingly, we would find incorrect and negative information on PUDEMO splashed in the media without verifying with us on the true position. PUDEMO is always available and does not shy away from the media. This humble advice is not only directed to the Times Group but to all media houses in Swaziland. We urge the media in general and individual journalists to report fairly and in a balanced way, not only on PUDEMO but on any issue that is of interest to the general readership to avoid creating negative perceptions of the media. *Zakhele Mabuza *** *Head of Publicity +268 76073453*** *Manzini*** *Mabuza,*** *We believe that every citizen of this country has a right to freedom of expression, just as they have a right to be heard if anything that concerns them as individuals or entities is made public. We appreciate (in both senses of the word) your concerns and will endeavour to be careful in our reporting, especially with regard to the PUDEMO-AUDP alleged link.*** *Our apologies where we have not been as accurate as you would have expected. It was never deliberate. It is never deliberate. That is why we always apologise where we have erred. We would not want to get into the habit of making mistakes just to apologise the next day.*** *Editor* *http://www.times.co.sz/Letters-to-the-Editor/25254.html* * * -- *Lucky Lukhele- SSN spokesperson* *Tell:011 339 3621* *Fax: 0866135762* *Mobile: 072 502 4141* *Email: [email protected] * -- NEW!!!! SSN FORUM IS ON FACEBOOK!!!! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum Google Group. Visit the group home page at http://groups-beta.google.com/group/sa-swaziland-solidarity-eom-forum for more options, pages and files. To post to the group, send email to [email protected] or reply to this message. To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected]
