bribes or any form of inducement to influence the performance of his/her professional duties.” Appointment of a government spokesperson and other information officers has not solved the problem of access to information. Access to public information in the ministries remains the media’s biggest challenge. In practice, nothing can be done by the information officers because only the ministers are mandated to release information to the media. What’s more, Cabinet issued a directive not to release information to blacklisted media houses. According to the Ministry of Health spokesperson, the minister has blacklisted The Nation. The Swaziland Water Services Corporation (SWSC), a public company, echoed these words. Threats to withdraw advertising are a common strategy used by government to silence the critical media. At the core of this issue is a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the media and the right of that media to access and the citizens’ right to know public information. Government has tightened its grip on the once uncompromising print media. In January 2012, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Winnie Magagula held an impromptu meeting with all editors where she told them they must positively report the visit of Equatorial Guinean President, Teodora Obiang Nguema Mbasago. The newspapers heeded her direc- tive: all the media houses waxed lyrical about the expected socio-economic benefits to be reaped from a questionable oil deal. The editors suppressed President Mbasago’s negative stories of graft and repression that were run by the international media. In fact, the Swazi Observer was forced to apologise for a cable news item published by SAPA that negatively exposed the President. For a contempt of court charge laid in November 2009, The Nation finally had its day in court in February 2012. This landmark case tests Swaziland’s commitment to its Constitution. The Attorney General (AG) has told the court that Swaziland is not yet ready for democratic values enjoyed in the civilised world. The magazine has called for High Court judges to take part in entrenching a culture of constitutionalism in Swaziland. The Chief Justice has found that invitation contemptuous of the court. Representing The Nation, Advocate Gilbert Marcus argues: “Freedom of expression lies at the heart of democracy. It is valuable for many reasons, including its instrumental function as a guarantor of democracy, its implicit recognition and protection of the moral agency of individuals in our society and its facilitation of the search for truth by individuals and society generally.” Many months later, the judge has not made a court decision on this landmark case, which will test the constitutional right to media freedom. On celebrating World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Swaziland Editors’ Forum (SEF) member, Mbongeni Mbingo, then managing editor of the Times of Swazi- 6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\" 6WDWHRI3ULQW0HGLD