STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT 2021 34 eSWATINI COVID-19, PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS USED TO CLAMP DOWN ON FREE SPEECH distribute their content using digital tools such as online radios and news websites. Social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook were restricted while leading publications such as The Times and Observer were forced to suspend printing their newspapers amid the killing of civilians in the ensuing clampdown. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The media in eSwatini remains severely constrained in its operations by a plethora of laws meant to shield the monarch from scrutiny. (1) By Zweli Martin Dlamini INTRODUCTION J OURNALISTS in eSwatini endured a tough time in 2021 as the Kingdom witnessed unprecedented anti-government protests that resulted in a brutal clampdown by the authorities. The media was often targeted as the government tried to quell the unrest and access to information was severely restricted. As the protests intensified, the government shutdown the internet, crippling operations of media outlets that primarily According to a 2002 audit of Restrictive Media Laws and African Media Barometer, there are approximately 32 laws that restrict media freedom in eSwatini, including harsh defamation laws and the Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) that the government has threatened to apply to critical journalists. King Mswati as the head of State enjoys immunity from criticism and his actions cannot be questioned by journalists without them falling foul of the country’s laws. Although eSwatini’s Constitution that was promulgated in 2005 promotes press freedom and freedom of expression, the government has not aligned the various laws with the supreme law and restrictions on civil and political rights remain firmly in place. As King Mswati became increasingly under pressure from citizens demanding political reforms and a democratic transition, authorities used the Sedition and Subversive Act to target journalists that were Wonder Dlamini of the Eswatini Observer shows off his injuries