(MISA/IFEX) – Sandile Ntshakala, editor of “The Swazi Observer”, was killed in Mbuleni township, near Manzini, in the early hours of Monday 1 October 2001, after working through the Monday edition of the newspaper. Ntshakala, who had been editor of “The Swazi Observer” for about four months, was visiting a friend and was in the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Sandile Ntshakala, editor of “The Swazi Observer”, was killed in Mbuleni township, near Manzini, in the early hours of Monday 1 October 2001, after working through the Monday edition of the newspaper. Ntshakala, who had been editor of “The Swazi Observer” for about four months, was visiting a friend and was in the company of a colleague, Bongani Mtshali. The motive behind his killing is unknown. Two trigger-happy drunken thugs were standing in the road and decided to open fire when Ntshakala’s car approached.
Before joining “The Swazi Observer”, Ntshakala worked for the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS). He also wrote for the South African independent newspaper “Mail & Guardian”, and during his student days at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), he served as news editor and editor-in-chief of the official student newspaper. He was the founding member of the newly-registered Editors Forum.
MISA-Swaziland is saddened by Ntshakala’s death and was looking forward to utilising his experience and education to advance press freedom in Swaziland.
