State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 Swaziland by Ronnie Mamba Ronnie Mamba is an independent media consultant and trainer based in Mbabane, Swaziland S waziland’s media landscape is slowly changing. Emerging from three years of what analysts believe were the worst years of Swazi journalism, Swaziland’s media practi tioners can be excused for being more optimistic today than they have been in recent history. The years 2000 to the end of 2002 were characterised by a random closure of news organisations, sacking at will of government journalists who were seen to challenge authority, closing down of newspapers such as the Swazi Observer, a newspaper with Royal connections whose editorial direction was becoming increasingly liberal and the closure of two independent publications, The Guardian newspaper and The Nation magazine which altogether earned Swaziland the rather dubious honour of worst abuser of press freedom in the region, alongside Zimbabwe. Today the mood in media circles is slightly more positive and the journalists themselves are slowly becoming more upbeat, not only about the future of journalism but also that justice will now prevail in the media industry since the departure of the former government. While they still regard authority with a lot of scepticism, paranoia and cynicism, their increased confidence that a fruitful coexistence with government is possible, is a starting point. Organisations such as the Editors’ Forum took a conciliatory attitude towards the state agreeing to hold regular meetings with the then Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini to raise issues of national importance and register their concerns where necessary. The Swaziland National Association of Journalists (SNAJ) finished drafting the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) policy in August. Again this exercise was held with not only the blessings of government, but also its participation, together with other stakeholders such as unions, employers and NGOs. Even the Media Institute of Southern Africa-Swaziland Chapter (MISWA) has been decidedly proactive in their attempt to engage government in their activities. The attitude of the media, especially at organisational level seems to be one of acceptance that government is a stakeholder on national issues and that in spite of weaknesses apparent in both sides, coexistence and mutual co-operation is possible. When a South African newspaper published what was in essence a royal scandal, Swazi newspaper refused to publish it and in fact condemned the source of the story and decried what they saw as an attempt to embarrass the Kingdom by their bigger neighbours in the region. This attitude showed a lot of maturity on the part of the media, bearing in mind the hardships they endured under the government of Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, an economist turned politician whose government was voted out almost in toto in the October elections held under Swaziland’s Tinkhundla system of government. However during the year under review, what can be viewed as having been a major milestone in Swazi politics was the launch of the Draft Constitution by King Mswati III, a document that has been five years in the making. The Kingdom of Swaziland has been operating without a constitution since 12 April 1973. Initially viewed with a lot of scepticism, the draft has at least two provisions of interest to the media in Swaziland: (1) The constitution will be the supreme law of Swaziland and if any law is inconsistent with this constitution, that law shall, to the extent of its inconsistency, be void. So This Is Democracy? 2003 81 Media Institute of Southern Africa