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An alleged sex scandal involving one of the wives of Africa's last absolute monarch, King Mswati III of Swaziland, has made worldwide headlines. Yet, in the southern African mountain kingdom, media coverage has been subdued, shying away from questioning the silence of the monarchy over the reports.
So, while City Press, a newspaper in neighboring South Africa, went as far as publishing an exclusive photo showing the alleged moment when married Swazi Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ndumiso Mamba was caught in a hotel room with the Inkhosikati LaDube, King Mswati's 12th wife, both the government daily and leading independent newspaper Times of Swaziland barely reported that the minister was forced to resign following unspecified "allegations" about him.
The Times, however, reported that Swazi plainclothes police arrested a man on Tuesday in the commercial capital, Manzini, for photocopying the City Press article. The paper quoted Swazi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Superintendent Wendy Hleta as confirming that the Criminial Investigation Department had charged the man with "contravening the Copyright Act."
No wonder. Media in
Media is generally frightened of the power the
king wields. The Times has fallen afoul
of him in the past. In 2007, King Mswati ordered the Times Sunday to publish an apology for an article it sourced from Norway that said
the king was partly responsible for
More recently, in 2009, the Times was forced to make an abject public apology to King Mswati after it reported that he had bought 20 luxury and armored Mercedes Benz S600 Pullman Guard cars that cost US$250,000 each. The story was true and had been published extensively by news media internationally.
As a result, censorship and self-censorship
is rife in the
There are serious concerns about human
rights generally and media freedom in particular in
As if to illustrate this point, last month, King Mswati's elder brother, Prince Mahlaba, declared in a public conference that "journalists who continue to write bad things about the country will die." However, as Times of Swaziland columnist Vusi Sibisi pointed out in an August 4 column: "Contrary to popular opinion within government, the media is not a lapdog to sing praises of the political establishment. The media have a far important and crucial role of ensuring transparency and public accountability instead of singing praises whatever the size of the carrot government dangles to journalists or the threat of the stick it wields to drive the fear of God into scribes."
Richard
Rooney is a former associate professor in journalism and mass communication at
the University of Swaziland. He blogs at Swazi Media Commentary.
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Given the danger of writing this blog post...I truly applaud you. This post was extremely educational and daring.
This is bad business for the media to write about. There is no ban but they just felt it would be in bad taste to the head of state The King. We live in swaziland and we do not feel this oppression we are told about by the outside media. The King is a persol too who hurts at such things . He has two children with the Inkhosikati and loves them. Adultary is wrong. Please come to Swaziland and spend time go to rural places see the clinics ,hospital and schools and you will see that we are trying as ordinary Swazis. Then you will see why our media decided to be carefull on this story.
Sabelo, you're written "...we do not feel this oppression we are told about by the outside media" but can you tell us how Sipho Jele "committed suicide" when the pathologist says it wasn't suicide?
Can you explain how a new airport is more important that education for all the children of SD?
Can you tell us why people walk around Manzini and speak in hushed tones while looking over their shoulder to see if plain clothed cops are listening?
Sure Makosetive is greatly embarrassed by this recent scandal but people have voices and he can not silence history or the truth.
Frankly, if he were a good and kind man people would themselves refrain from discussing his "misfortune"; but he is a miserly and egocentric king who will be ridiculed until reality slaps him in the face.
What's truly depressing about this story is that King Mswati III is an educated man who got a first class education in Britain before his ascendancy to the throne.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
MoaF,
Makosetive is not an educated man. He only finished grade 12 - 'O' levels. He's not even an 'A' level fellow.
Sure he got a "first class" education since the royalty in Sd gets a "first class" everything.
He is simply a power monger who believe all the Swazi people are meant to "serve" him....he does not serve the nation but enslaves the nation!
@Teresa Debly
Sorry about my crass assumption, just because one attended one of the best schools in the UK, does not mean one is "educated" because as you so rightly pointed out, the best of everything is a given for Swazi royalty. No doubt, the incumbent sovereign went through the motions as that's the hallmark of people of his ilk.
The Swazi people deserve better.
Of all women the black mamba struck the king's wife! Wizards definately prescribed that he beds the queen to empower himself and dis-empower the king in the process. If he gets away with this, it will be Hail King Ndumiso! With friends like Ndumiso Mamba, His Majesty King Mswati III of Swaziland does not need enemies. Throughout history world Rulers have had their fair share of traitors who end up killing them. Talk of harboring vipers! Our King of kings and Lord of lords had Judas Iscariot, Emperor Julius Ceaser had Brutus, King Shaka Zulu had Mbopha and now the young King Mswati III has Ndumiso Mamba!
Dick, tried to contact you - where are you now? Jeanette
Hi, I have been visiting your blog.It is very sad and unfortunate situation for him and your people. ¡Congratulations for your work! I invite you to visit my blog about literature, philosophy and films:
http://alvarogomezcastro.over-blog.es
Greetings from Santa Marta, Colombia