Eswatini: Emaswati Support Media's Watchdog Role, Insist On Media Freedom

22 July 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Asafika Mpako and Stephen Ndoma

Only one in four citizens say their country has a free press.

Key findings

  • Two-thirds (67%) of Emaswati say the media should "constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption."
  • More than seven in 10 citizens (72%) say the media should be free from government interference, while 26% think the government should have the right to prevent the publication of things it disapproves of.
  • Only one-quarter (26%) of respondents say the country's media is "somewhat free" or "completely free" to report and comment on the news without government interference, while 71% disagree.
  • A narrow majority (52%) of respondents disagree with the idea that information held by public authorities is for use only by government officials. o In particular, strong majorities support making information about local government budgets (83%) and government contracts (77%) publicly available. o A slim majority (52%) support disclosing the salaries of teachers and local government officials.
  • Television and radio are the most popular sources of news in Eswatini, followed closely by the Internet and social media.

In February 2024, Eswatini's newly appointed prime minister, Russell Dlamini, sparked concern about the future of press freedom in the country by announcing plans to establish a state controlled media regulator as part of the Media Commission Bill, which has long been on the books but inactive (Harber, 2024).

Although Section 24 of Eswatini's Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, the country's media environment is heavily restricted by laws such as the Suppression of Terrorism Act (2008), which critics argue is used to protect the monarchy from criticism (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa, 2022).

A range of colonial-era statutes also severely limit media freedom in Eswatini, and critics say they are weaponised to punish the media for investigative reporting (African Media Barometer, 2018; Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 2021). These include the Cinematography Act (1920), the Obscene Publications Act (1927), the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (1938), the Magistrates Courts Act (1939), the Books and Newspapers Act (1963), the Protected Places and Areas Act (1966), and the Proscribed Publications Act (1968).

In 2022, the Eswatini government declared the online publication Swaziland News and its editor, Zweli Martin Dlamini, "terrorist entities" under the Suppression of Terrorism Act (Media Institute of Southern Africa, 2022). Dlamini has been in exile in South Africa since 2020 after police raided his home and held him for six hours (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2020; Reporters Without Borders, 2021). A court application to have Dlamini extradited to Eswatini to face charges of terrorism is expected to be heard by South Africa's High Court next month (Maromo, 2024; Dlamini, 2024).

Since the 2023 enactment of the long-dormant Eswatini Broadcasting Act, which looks to break the state broadcaster's stronghold on media affairs and encourage media pluralism (Hlatshwayo, 2020; Kingdom of Eswatini, 2023), Eswatini has risen sharply in the World Press Freedom Index rankings, from 131st in 2022 to 85th out of 180 countries (Reporters Without Borders, 2024). But some media observers say that journalists continue to be prevented from working freely and independently (Media Institute of Southern Africa Regional, 2023), and Freedom House (2024) rates the country as "not free" in terms of political rights and civil liberties. In early 2023, gunmen killed prominent human rights lawyer, columnist, and opposition activist Thulani Maseko (Al Jazeera, 2023).

How do Emaswati assess their media scene?

According to the most recent Afrobarometer survey, in late 2022, Emaswati broadly agree that the media should act as a watchdog over the government, exposing government missteps and wrongdoing. Citizens value media freedom and reject the notion that public information should be the exclusive preserve of government officials. However, most believe that media freedom does not exist in practice in their country.

Television and radio are the most popular news sources in Eswatini, but the Internet and social media are favoured, too, especially by youth, urban residents, and more educated citizens.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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