Swaziland News rightly BANNED
It is important for Government to be consistent in its policies. It is therefore a great development to see that that the main malicious source of misinformation about Eswatini is finally being legally addressed with one voice by Government. We are, of course, talking about Swaziland News.
The Government of Eswatini recently filed a legal case against the online tabloid Swaziland News for repeatedly publishing false information about Eswatini. This move by the Government is long overdue, as Swaziland News was getting too comfortable repeating lies about the Kingdom of Eswatini on multiple public platforms.
For example, Swaziland News founder and Editor Zweli Martin Dlamini recently spoke on SABC about how the Kingdom of Eswatini is getting ready to cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan in order to appease Mainland China. This was pure speculation, unfounded on anything other than the fact that some Eswatini diplomats visited China.
The shamelss spreading of misinformation is wrong because the more it is repeated, the more people believe it. For example, Eswatini’s policy on Mainland China and Taiwan has always been clear — the Kingdom of Eswatini aims to be an enemy to none and a friend to all, as espoused by His Majesty King Mswati III at the UN General Assembly more than once. Eswatini does not believe in choosing a side, but rather in having diplomatic relations with both Governments as they engage in the issues. It therefore dangerous and unethical for someone proclaiming to be a journalist to openly tell lies about this geopolitical information without being required to provide sufficient evidence.
The only reason this Zwemart continued to lie on SABC is because Eswatini was giving Zwemart credibility by answering him. On occassion some officials affiliated with Government would give responses when probed by Swaziland News. This is wrong because media outlets like SABC start to view Swaziland News as a media entity to be engaged with on matters of Eswatini governance, instead of viewing as what it is — a propaganda tabloid pushing the PUDEMO agenda at all costs.
The move by the Government of Eswatini to prohibit Government officials from engaging with Swaziland News is brilliant because it willy rightfully reduce the credibility of the tabloid. This is very warranted, until Swaziland News can provide proof of what they repeatedly write, as stated in the court papers they were served with.
“The actions of ZM Dlamini and the Swaziland News in reporting on these incidents in the favourable (to SISF, a terrorism group) manner in which they have reported, constitute offenses because they will or are likely to enhance the ability of the SISF to engage in terrorist activities, and further constitute the soliciting of support and giving of support to the SISF. “
This is not just theoretical, as Swaziland News has openly represented the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces (SISF) when soliciting logo designs from Swaziland News readers on behalf of the terrorist organisation. This is contained in the list of unethical and criminal practises by Swaziland News, as we have detailed in a previous article.
“ZM Dlamini and the Swaziland News clearly support the SISF and their publications aim to encourage support for them by others. Their repeated claims that the King “and his allies” “to shoot and kill dozens of civilians merely for demanding democratic reforms’’ are false, to the knowledge of Z M Dlamini and Swaziland news. They are incendiary and are published maliciously as advocacy of hatred which is excluded from protection as it constitutes incitement to cause harm with the intention to incite a violent response, and to justify the actions of this terrorist organization”, reads the court papers in part, all of which is verifiable truth.
“What is also deeply concerning to the Applicant is how quickly the reports are published, in the case of the attack on the military, the very next day after the attack had occurred, which indicates ongoing and close communication between the Commander of the terrorist forces and ZM Dlamini and the Swaziland News”, reads the court papers, another fact which we have investigated and exposed in the Hidden Side.
This move will ensure that Zwemart does not lie without consequence, and that truth will be strengthened in the public discourse.
