By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. The media in eSwatini is dominated by State Intelligence spies from the army and the police and these agents have been holding the Eswatini National Association of Journalists(ENAJ) hostage making sure that, journalists are oppressed such that, the standard of living for media practitioners has be deteriorating over the years and now, far below that of colleagues within the Southern African Development Community(SADC) region.
In eSwatini, journalists don’t know the value of their profession and, they have been reduced to useless beggars while holding a pen that they could use collectively, to influence policies and laws that seek to improve their lives.
As you read this, the new Executive of the Association of journalists is busy registering the organization and this means, the media organization that should be acting as the custodian of ethics, promoting ethical standards was an unregistered entity, of course, with no bank account.
Former journalist now Mbabane East Member of Parliament(MP) Welcome Dlamini and Times Sunday journalist Mfankhona Nkambule are former Presidents of the Journalists Association.
This means Nkambule and the MP were heading an unregistered association and, it was not a problem they were receiving money from the Tinkhundla regime for suppressing other journalists.
It’s surprising to learn that, all the former Presidents of the Eswatini Journalists Association were heading an entity that does not exist in terms of the law but, if you can engage them, you will find yourself swimming in the mud with pigs.
As we celebrate press freedom, let me remind journalists that, they have the power to liberate themselves.
It’s actually a huge embarrassment to call yourself a journalist while you are visibly hungry, a hungry human being is not free but vulnerable to be used by anyone with money.
Therefore, if international partners like the European Union(EU) are serious about promoting media freedom, they must influence policies that seek to ensure that, journalists receive decent salaries in this country.
The EU must organize workshops and capacitate journalists so that, they can understand how important they are in this country.
Ntombi Mhlongo, the Secretary General of the Eswatini National Association of Journalists articulated this very well, journalists are financially struggling and vulnerable to be used.
The media has become an Army Barrack where even soldiers are deployed so that they can spy unsuspecting members of the pro-democracy movement, pretending to be conducting interviews.
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