who have vowed to continue with it despite the government ban. The march was scheduled for July 5 in Manzini, the country’s second major city. Its organisers said that despite the ban, they planned to go ahead with the march. • ALERT Date: June 14, 2008 Person/institutions: Media Violation/issue: Threatened On June 14, traditional governor Jim Gama, who is regarded as the traditional prime minister, launched a scathing attack on the print media and threatened journalists for what he claimed was negative reporting of a national gathering called by King Mswati III at Ludzidzini royal kraal, the traditional capital. Gama accused the print media of having reported negatively about the national gathering where people had been called to debate national issues under a forum called People’s Parliament. Speaking in the presence of King Mswati III, Gama said the offending journalists should be punished using “umphini”, which in Swazi traditional folklore is tantamount to capital punishment. • ALERT Date: September 25, 2008 Person/institutions: State-owned newspapers Violation/issue: Threat Swazi police unearthed a plot to bomb the state-owned Swazi Observer newspaper. This is in the wake of the arrest of a suspect who survived what the police call a “terrorist” act in which two other men were killed when a bomb exploded prematurely during an attempt to bomb an overhead bridge on September 20 near the palace of King Mswati III at Lozitha, outside the capital, Mbabane. Police claim that the man, Amos Mdedzi, a South African from the Limpopo Province, confessed before a magistrate that he and his friends were on a mission to bomb government structures including the Swazi Observer newspaper offices situated in Mbabane. MISA Swaziland condemns any acts of violence targeted at the media. • ALERT Date: October 14, 2008 Person/institutions: NGOs Violation/issue: Banned The government has banned an Africa Social Forum (ASF) meeting, hosted by civil society that was set to be held in Mbabane with international speakers in attendance. The ban follows ongoing pressure for Swaziland to embrace multi-party democracy. In response, the government has taken a hard-line stance on free speech and public gatherings, threatening to use the law against those who dissent. A statement issued on October 13 by acting head of government, Bheki Dlamini, said government was of the view that hosting the international forum would not be in the national interest “and will compromise peace, security and stability of the country”. • ALERT Date: October 27, 2008 Person: Sisho Magagula Violation/issue: Harassed On October 27, Sisho Magagula, a journalist with the state-owned Swazi Observer newspaper, was harassed and had his digital camera confiscated and images deleted by South African police while covering a border blockade protest by Swazi and South Africa trade unions. This harassment took place at the Oshoek Border Post. According to Magagula, the police demanded to know why he was taking pictures in South Africa when he was a Swazi journalist. His explanation that the Swazi press had an interest So This Is Democracy? 2008 -97- Media Institute of Southern Africa