(MISA/IFEX) – Alec Lushaba, a senior journalist with the “Swazi Observer” newspaper, has been the victim of continued threats and intimidation as a result of his ongoing investigation and series of articles about a top lawyer’s involvement in a corruption scandal. On 17 September 2005, Lushaba published an investigative report in the “Weekend Observer” that […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Alec Lushaba, a senior journalist with the “Swazi Observer” newspaper, has been the victim of continued threats and intimidation as a result of his ongoing investigation and series of articles about a top lawyer’s involvement in a corruption scandal.
On 17 September 2005, Lushaba published an investigative report in the “Weekend Observer” that linked lawyer Lindifa Mamba and the then-attorney general, Phesheya Dlamini, to an alleged corrupt relationship that resulted in the government losing revenue from unpaid customs taxes. Dlamini is currently Swaziland’s ambassador to the United Nations.
According to Lushaba’s report, the value of a luxury vehicle Mamba purchased from South Africa was under-declared at customs, resulting in the government receiving less tax. Mamba later “sold” the vehicle to Dlamini under questionable circumstances. The deal was suspect in that the vehicle, purchased in July 2004, was “sold” to Dlamini only a few months after Mamba acquired it. Mamba is suspected of transferring the vehicle to Dlamini as a token of appreciation for previous dealings.
Lushaba told MISA-Swaziland that he has received no co-operation from Mamba since he started investigating the story. Instead Mamba has tried to suppress the story by hostile means including intimidation. According to Lushaba, Mamba first tried without success to convince Myzo Magagula, chief executive officer of the “Observer”, not to allow the story’s publication, claiming that Lushaba was harassing him. When that failed, Mamba summoned Lushaba and “Weekend Observer” editor Wilton Mamba to his office on 16 September, where he subjected them to verbal abuse. When the two journalists tried to explain the importance of his comment, Mamba went into a fit of rage and threw them out of his office, but not before he threatened to deal with Lushaba personally. Not taking any chances, Lushaba reported the threat to the police. Mamba’s intimidation, however, did not prevent the story’s publication the following day.
“I will not allow Mamba to intimidate me,” Lushaba told MISA-Swaziland. “I know he wanted to suppress the story through intimidation and threats. I will continue to investigate and publish his dirty dealings.”
