By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala who is now colluding with alleged corrupt SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff to attack the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) and investigators of the law enforcement institution, is the same CJ who was colluding with corrupt lawyers and Judges to steal millions from the coffers of the Times of Eswatini through questionable lawsuits.
Indeed, we can blame journalists and accuse them of being captured or corrupt but, some of us who are working in the media are fully aware that, the Judiciary under the leadership of Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala has been attacking the media, colluding with lawyers to cash millions from the coffers of the newspapers through questionable lawsuits and then share the money on the sidelines.
What the CJ is doing to the ACC is not new, this corrupt Chief Justice has been attacking all institutions fighting corruption, he once delivered a judgement directing The Nation Magazine and it’s editor Bheki Makhubu to pay two hundred thousand Rands(R200,000.00) fine merely for criticizing Judges.
The question is; how do we expect this country to survive, be transparent and accountable without a vibrant independent media and the Anti Corruption Commission?.
Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala is not a Judge but an alleged corrupt thief who abuses judicial power to attack all State institutions fighting corruption and, the media has been systematically attacked under his administration resulting to journalists practicing self-censorship.
It’s true that, there are challenges within the media but, the Judiciary particularly Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala contributed and this, started during CJ Michael Ramodibedi era who was also an alleged corrupt thief, manipulating judicial powers for personal benefit.
Now we are seeing SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff suing Clement Sifiso Khumalo, the seconded investigator of the Anti Corruption Commission for R5million and Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala is once again, allegedly playing the mafia game to intimidate the ACC with an alleged intention to protect his alleged friend Ashraff.
But it is important to warn that, if we allow this alleged corrupt Chief Justice to collapse our country, it might be too late to rescue it, he started with the media cashing millions from the Times with his corrupt syndicate of lawyers and Judges now, he is allegedly assisting Ashraff to silence or attack investigators of the ACC in their personal capacity.
The media must be protected, even newspapers which write what we don’t like must be protected because the strength of the media as an institution, is media pluralism and diversity.
What happened to the Times of Eswatini was very unfortunate and must be condemned, newspapers must not be allowed to exist just because journalists of that particular newspaper write what the elite like, I sometimes disagree with the content of the Times but I fully understand that, a newspaper cannot write what thrills me or certain individuals.
The Judiciary must take the lead in protecting not only the media but other State institutions fighting corruption, Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala is a disgrace and must be removed for castrating the Anti Corruption Commission and the eSwatini media.
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