6ZD]LODQG ,&7VDQG7HOHFRPPXQLFDWLRQV A protracted legal battle between Swaziland’s telecommunications giants, Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) and Swazi MTN Limited, has proven costly for consumers. About 64 000 consumers were deprived of an alternative affordable telecommunications service. The bone of contention was a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) breached by SPTC when introducing new products, ‘One mobile phones’ and ‘Wireless Fixedfones’, into the market. Swazi MTN enjoys exclusive rights to operate a mobile network, thus they argued that SPTC had breached the JVA. The International Court of Arbitration (ICA) ruled in MTN’s favour and ordered the public company to withdraw its affordable products. Technicalities aside, the SPTC/MTN saga revolved around nothing but a conflict of interest. With its affordable products, SPTC gave Swazi MTN stiff competition. MTN’s powerful shareholders, namely King Mswati III and Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, were supposedly torn between the national interest and their own self-interests. The Swazi MTN shareholding structure has SPTC holding 41%, Swaziland Empower- 6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\" ment Limited, a consortium, 19%, MTN International, 30%, and King Mswati III, 10%. Princess Sikhanyiso was appointed to the Swazi MTN Board to manage the royal shares. 1HZ0HGLDDQG6RFLDOPHGLD In a country where the mainstream media is highly censored, the new media and social media are now considered as an alternative platform for the free flow of information. A growing number of Swazis, especially the youth, use the social media as the most convenient tool of communication. It enables them to enjoy their constitutional right to freedom of expression. They post all sorts of information, including at times seditious information, which has led incensed legislators to call for the censorship of the internet. They have asked the head of government to find ways to censor the internet. However, the prime minister – who is also minister responsible for the police – has repeatedly told parliamentarians that it is extremely difficult to censor the internet. Their information banned or censored by both the private and state media, civil society groups have taken advantage of the new or social media. They mobilise people by sending text messages, tweets