SWAZILAND SUMMARY in NUMBERS Institution Website Request for information Total score Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade 8 12 20 Ministry of Health 12 12 24 Ministry of Housing and Urban Development 11 12 23 Ministry of Labour and Social Security 8 12 20 Central Statistics Office 7 11 18 Financial Services Regulatory Authority 10 11 21 Swaziland Communications Commission 13 15 28 Swaziland Royal Insurance Corporation 11 15 26 RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS Section 79 of the 2005 Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland describes Swaziland as a tinkhundla-based1 participatory democracy. Only Swazi citizens who have access to information can actively participate in national development. The government, through the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT), should table with a certificate of urgency, an amended Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Bill in Parliament. There is a strong need for this legislation to ensure that citizens can access information, which is a catalyst for development. It is commendable and promising that all the institutions have provided some kind of response to the information requests. It has to be pointed out however, that thorough follow up and perseverance was necessary, reminding all the institutions several times to provide the information requested. Government ministries and public institutions still prefer withholding public information rather than releasing it to the media and citizens. Bureaucracy still reigns supreme in all the public institutions where only the most senior officials are entrusted with the responsibility of disseminating information. The senior officials in both the government and parastatals do not understand that they hold public information on behalf of the public, which should therefore be released when requested to do so by the media and citizens. Regrettably, even where there are information officers, the senior officials have arrogated the role of disseminating information to themselves. This high level of secrecy and lack of openness is attributed to the Official Secrets Act of 1968. Being incompatible with freedom of information, there is an urgent need for Swaziland to repeal it in order to promote freedom of information. 1 “The system of government for Swaziland is a democratic, participatory, tinkhundlabased system which emphasizes devolution of state power from central government to tinkhundla areas and individual merit as a basis for election or appointment to public office”. (Section 79 of the 2005 Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland) THE MOST SECRETIVE PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN SWAZILAND Out of the eight public institutions that were assessed and evaluated for this particular study, the poorest performing institution and hence the winner of the 2016 Golden Padlock Award for the Most Secretive Public Institution in Swaziland is the Central Statistics Office. THE MOST OPEN PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN SWAZILAND The best performing institution and winner of the 2016 Golden Key Award for the Most Open Public Institution in Swaziland is the Swaziland Communications Commission. RECOMMENDATIONS First and foremost, Swaziland should adopt a Freedom of Information Bill which provides for access to information, openness, transparency and accountability after fully engaging with all stakeholders and incorporating suggestions made. The Official Secrets Act of 1968 should be repealed because it curtails freedom of information. All the public institutions should appoint information officers or public relations officers to disseminate information. Government ministries and departments should be allowed to set up websites independent from the national government site so that they are able to update them frequently.