(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Information Mntonzima Dlamini, RSF protested the ban on the monthly “The Nation” and the weekly “The Guardian”. “We ask you to reconsider this decision and not to block publication of the privately-owned press,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general, who noted that the two newspapers had been […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Information Mntonzima Dlamini, RSF protested the ban on the monthly “The Nation” and the weekly “The Guardian”. “We ask you to reconsider this decision and not to block publication of the privately-owned press,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general, who noted that the two newspapers had been banned twice in less than one month. RSF also urged Swaziland to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression.
According to information collected by RSF, on 22 May 2001, the minister of information banned “The Nation” and “The Guardian” for the second time because “they are prejudicial and/or potentially prejudicial to the interests of the public order in that they are not duly registered and/or are not operating in accordance with the applicable laws of the Kingdom of Swaziland.” Previously, on 4 May, the minister had banned the two publications known for their critical tone toward the authorities. But on 18 May, the High Court of Swaziland judged this ban illegal in the case of “The Nation” because the minister gave no reasons for his decision. Attorney General Phesheya Dlamini appealed the High Court’s decision. Despite the Court order allowing the magazine to be published, on 22 May, police confiscated the last edition of “The Nation”, which is printed in South Africa. The second ban was announced before the High Court could rule on the case of “The Guardian”, during a hearing where “The Nation” had appealed for an order banning the police from confiscating the magazine. On 24 May, the High Court ruled that the police action was justified. The High Court will rule on “The Guardian” case soon.
