Another concern is the time frame. The constitution has been five years in the making. The constitutional debate has already taken six months and by all accounts the end is not in sight. Does this indicate some reluctance or unwillingness on the part of the Swazi authorities? The emergence of a vibrant and divergent press is welcome and in fact useful for a democracy, however the reality in Swaziland is that all three new media organisations: Youth Connexion, Siyavena and Channel Swazi are not particularly critical of the state. The youth magazine aims mainly at addressing social issues affecting the youth such as HIV/AIDS and crime. While it offers brilliant social commentary, it does not however address politics and media freedom. Channel Swazi is also a pro-establishment medium which offers very little in terms of progressive and dynamic points of view. The strong royal connection has resulted in many people viewing it with a lot of suspicion and cynicism. When government agreed to grant Channel Swazi a broadcasting licence, the general belief in media circles was that it was granted not in the name of media diversity and freedom but because it was cow-towing to royalty. The fact is that for a country the size of Swaziland with its attendant short comings such as extreme scarcity of spectrum, the government has never shown any willingness to liberalise the airwaves. They are still as much a reserve of the state as they have always been. The radio industry remains largely immature and unrepresentative. Rather it represents establishment in the name of the Church and the state. Radio Swaziland’s two channels are government owned and TransWorld Radio is a Christian station with American origins and continental coverage. So This Is Democracy? 2003 82 Media Institute of Southern Africa BOTSWANA LESOTHO MALAWI MOZAMBIQUE NAMIBIA SOUTH AFRICA Much as the developments in Swaziland are positive and admirable, there is a genuine concern as to whether they represent a real change of heart or merely meant to abate the pressure that international organisations and western governments are piling on the continent’s last absolute monarchy. Critics say the constitution is aimed at preserving Royal dictatorship and will not usher in much substantial change. Concern especially emanates from the constitutional provision that defines the King’s powers as still extensive and largely unquestionable. Media scholars and practitioners are asking whether the King in fact overturns certain laws and if so what would the constitution do about it. SWAZILAND The media industry has also experienced some impressive growth in terms of new titles coming into stream. The country saw the introduction of two magazine titles, a youth magazine called Youth Connexion and a sports magazine, Siyavena. A terrestrial television channel Channel Swazi, previously operating on the South African satellite platform, Sentech, was finally allowed to begin operating from eZulwini, a town mid-way between Mbabane and Manzini. The pro democracy Nation magazine also seems to have turned the corner in terms of attracting both advertisements and readership. Preparations are also underway to establish community radio stations to operate from each of the four political regions of the country. This initiative though still in the pipeline, is owned and driven by the United Nations (UN). TANZANIA For now the document has been referred to the public for debate and deliberation. Many have been very critical of it while some have acknowledged it to be a starting point. Dr. Moses Anafo a local government expert said in his presentation to the drafting committee: “We appreciate your work. Some of us are not fully satisfied with it but we appreciate that this is the nature of constitutions. They are compromise documents and we realise that there is no constitution that will ever satisfy everyone in a country”. Since May 31, the media has led the way in the debate on the draft constitution. ZIMBABWE ZAMBIA (2) A person shall not, except with the consent of that person, be hindered in the enjoyment of freedom of expression, which includes the freedom of the press and other media. ANGOLA State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003