Prime Minister visits broadcasters; reportedly censors news

Source: MISA-Swaziland MISA-Swaziland reported that on 23 June 1996, Acting Prime Minister Dr. Sishayi Nxumalo, accompanied by Minister of Information Prince Khuzulwandle together with heavily armed police, went into state-run radio and television newsrooms to check through evening news items queued for broadcasting. Nxumalo and Khuzulwandle removed from the news line up items describing a […]

Source: MISA-Swaziland

MISA-Swaziland reported that on 23 June 1996, Acting Prime
Minister Dr. Sishayi Nxumalo, accompanied by Minister of
Information Prince Khuzulwandle together with heavily armed
police, went into state-run radio and television newsrooms to
check through evening news items queued for broadcasting. Nxumalo
and Khuzulwandle removed from the news line up items describing a
clash between police and striking teachers who had planned to
gather on 23 June to discuss their plight.
Swaziland has since early this year been going through a spate of
strikes by private and public employees who have not only demanded
better wages and conditions of service, but have also been asking
authorities to allow free political activity in the country. The
current teachers’ strike is in its third week. According to MISA-
Swaziland, authorities have, since civil unrest started early this
year, censored news about strikers clashing with armed police.
Statements by union leaders have also been removed from news
bulletins.
Radio Swaziland’s 18:00 hours evening radio news transmission was
disrupted. At one point, the Prime Minister interrupted the live
bulletin, and ordered the newscaster to stop reading. The Prime
Minister then took the newscaster’s scripts and removed reports on
the strike before transmission resumed. During recording for the
Swazi TV news transmission of the same evening, the news anchor
was reportedly instructed during rehearsal to show scripts and
accompanying video footage to Nxumalo Khuzulwandle. Most of the
(video) recording on armed police confronting unarmed civilians
was also reportedly removed from the bulletin. After the 23 June
news, the Acting Prime Minister went on television to thank the
public for not attending the 23 June meeting organised by
strikers.
The privately-owned “Times of Swaziland” newspaper reported
authorities’ interference at the state broadcasting stations in
its edition of the following day. The newspaper’s editor, Vusie
Ginindza, told MISA on 27 June that Nxumalo wrote to the newspaper
threatening to take legal action.
The editor for the Swaziland Broadcasting Service, Welile Dlamini,
refused to comment, saying, “I am before anything else, a civil
servant and secondly a journalist.” Nxumalo has denied reports
that he went to the stations to censor the news. Speaking to MISA
on 27 June, Nxumalo said: “Yes, I went to the television station
together with the Minister of Information. Yes, I addressed the
nation on Sunday evening June 23. But I didn’t see or touch any
news items. And the time I went there was long past the news
hour,” he said. Nxumalo, however, said: “I have been extremely
annoyed by these fabrications and I have consulted my lawyers to
institute legal action against journalists who say I went there to
censor news.” Nxumalo said that what the journalists in the
country reported of him was “unethical and insulting” because
“this is a fabrication with a motive behind. This shows the low
level of honest and integrity in our journalists.”

Recommended Action

Rt. Hon. Acting Prime Minister Dr. Sishayi Nxumalo

Office of the Prime Minister

P. O. Box 395

Swaziland

Tel: +268 46692 (direct) or +268 445521

Fax: +268 43943

Rt. Hon. Minister Prince Khuzulwandle

The Ministry of Information

P. O. Box 338

Swaziland

Tel: +268 42755 (direct) or +268 42761

Fax: +268 42774