African Media Barometer Swaziland 2014 Summary The reach and power of Africa’s last absolute monarch permeates through every sector of Swaziland, firmly entrenching the power of King Mswati III. The most telling sign of this entrenchment of monarchical control is in the political arena. Since 2009, MPs have been prohibited from making announcements via Swaziland Broadcasting Information Services’ radio channels. This has forced individuals, even those in government, to seek permission from their chief if they wish to communicate with their constituencies via the state radio. There is contention about the status of the royal decree issued by King Sobhuza II in 1973, which amongst other things, banned political parties. From a legal point of view, it technically no longer exists as it has been overtaken by the provisions of the 2005 Constitution, which legally allows other political parties to exist(under section 25 on freedom of association and assembly). The major problem is that the existence of the Decree is de facto rather than de jure because the state behaves as if it is still in force. The other problem of course is that no legislation has been passed to enable political parties to register, operate or contest elections. This essentially makes it difficult for citizens to enjoy the rights articulated in section 29 of the Constitution, or to ensure that ‘individual merit’ is the basis for election or appointment to office, as per section 79. As a result, political parties are not allowed to contest the elections and therefore have no place in the governance structure. This firm grip is further entrenched through Swaziland’s legislation, as the statute books contain at least 32 pieces of legislation that negatively impact the media. The majority of these are outdated pieces of legislation that are so broad in language that they can be used anywhere and in any situation to impose restrictions on the media. In addition, the recently enacted Anti-terrorism Act is often used to clamp down on dissent. In this regard, mention was made of the banned democracy movement/opposition party, the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) and its head, Mario Masuku, who has been arrested and jailed repeatedly for high treason, sedition and terrorism offences. At the time this report was being compiled, he was still in detention awaiting trial (set for September 2014) under a charge made in terms of the Anti-terrorism Act for statements he allegedly uttered on May Day 2014. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Swaziland 2014 7