STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2022 family through the Tibiyo Taka Ngwane Trust. With the strong control over the broadcasting sector, there is no room for adverse reporting on the monarchy or any of its family members. Even in the run-up to elections, it is doubtful that the opposition will be able to fully participate in airing their views on state controlled radio or television. Even the entry of a new player, the Rubicon Africa Media Group, which publishes the Eswatini Financial Times, Eswatini Daily News and Eswatini Sunday News is viewed with suspicion. Based on the stories carried by the publications, there is speculation that those behind the financing are linked to the royal family. MEDIA INDEPENDENCE The fact that freedom of expression is so highly constrained makes it challenging for the media to assert their right to report objectively or fairly on the diversity of issues in the country. The independence of the media is inherently inhibited by cultural norms, which do not encourage the challenging of those in power and obstructive laws, which are used as weapons against critical media and journalists focusing on investigative reporting. All this, along with the persistent threat of physical attacks has resulted in self-censorship, which ultimately impacts on media reporting with a measure of independence. Over the years both The Nation and Swaziland News have paid the price for their critical reporting. As mentioned earlier, just last year, Swaziland News and editor Zweli Martin Dlamini’s extensive coverage of the country’s pro-democracy movement led them to being declared specified entities under the STA. As the Southern African Litigation Centre pointed out “such legislation [STA] has proved a helpful cover for authoritarian States to target those critical of the State under the guise of dealing with terrorism”.(4) SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS Several journalists faced questioning, detention, or other forms of violations for their 40 reporting or their own political activity during 2020 and 2021. Numerous journalists fled the country in 2020 after being detained and physically assaulted by police for doing their work. Reporters Without Borders, in its 2022 World Press Freedom Index, ranked Eswatini 131 out of 180 countries, stating that the country prevents journalists from working freely and independently by maintaining total control over the broadcast media, infiltrating newsrooms, and spying on, arresting and harassing journalists.(5) Swaziland News, an online publication that is critical of the government, was banned and, together with its editor Zweli Martin Dlamini, declared “terrorist entities” in 2022.(6) The Human Rights Watch Report for 2022 states: “In July, Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini published an order declaring South African based online publication, Swaziland News, and its editor, Dlamini, ‘terrorist entities’. He made the order on the recommendation of the Attorney General, Sifiso Khumalo, who accused Dlamini of publishing articles ‘that instigate violence, the burning of public and state property, the seizure of state power and the overthrow of a lawful government’.”(7) INTERNET ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY The Kingdom of Eswatini is ranked as one of the poorest countries in the Southern African region, and it has a tainted human rights record. Both these factors have a heavy bearing on internet access and affordability for one of Africa’s two remaining absolute monarchs. While internet penetration is good at 58 percent, only 19 percent of the population has access to the internet, as the majority are in rural areas and earn low incomes. The internet is still widely accessed by those in urban areas. SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY OF INFORMATION In 2022, the kingdom passed two laws, which deal with digital rights and protection of privacy — Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Act and the Data Protection Act.