JOURNALISTS ARE INFORMATION DISSEMINATORS

Sir,

When other countries develop in leaps and bounds around us, we relentlessly continue to take a thousand steps backwards. We are a nation that excels in holding grudges, a motley collection of fractious people who live no stone unturned in our bid to take revenge, persecute those we view as our enemies.

perpetrated

One great person once said: “Revenge is a cup you cannot fill.”  And rightly so! You cannot develop spiritually, intellectually or materially if you cannot forgive any misdemeanours perpetrated against you - real or perceived, in the process moving on with life. It is on this premise that I want to condemn in the strongest terms possible, the alleged persecution of a journalist, one Musa Ndlangamandla by our police for ‘crimes’ he allegedly committed ages ago - 2011 to be precise. Telling the truth in this sad and broken country incessantly continues to be a taboo and a heinous crime in the eyes of those who thrive in revenge, pursuing their nefarious agendas.

For how long will our local journalists and the general populace be persecuted and not given a break by those who hate the truth? We have many of our fellow countrymen in exile because they dared speak or write truth to power. We have a so-called ‘Constitution’ which is purportedly protecting the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, which in reality is respected at the whims of our authorities. Journalists are information disseminators to the public and should perform their duties without fear or favour. But not in this country, where the truth is suppressed and if it rubs the egos of our authorities the wrong way, then woe! Unto those who dare speak or write the truth to power!

persecution

If the new government wants to convince us that it is serious about change, it has to start with calling to order the incorrigible, reprobate, dastardly and downright diabolical behaviour of the persecution of journalists. This is wrong and evil. This has no place in a country intent on cleaning its blotted international image. This is no time to continue wallowing in the wretched legacy of persecution left by the previous Barnabas Dlamini-led government. May his soul rest in eternal peace.This is time to band and rally together as a nation that is on the brink of a new era of reviving a fallen economy; a nation intent on living in harmony, promoting tolerance on even dissenting voices.

eradicate

This is no time to rummage through, and evoke dead and buried, so-called ‘atrocities’ committed millennia ago by those perceived as enemies of the state.Our security forces must stick to their mandate. We, the people they persecute pay them their inflated salaries using our hard earned taxes. We pay them to eradicate crime and do its prevention.  If telling the truth, that is in the “pure and righteous” eyes of our security forces includes persecuting journalists under trumped up misdemeanours, looked up in their holy statutes, then I fear for this country.

We are mourning the passing away of one of the greatest journalists to ever grace the media corridors of our country, the late Thulani Thwala and do not need our security forces to hound writers for writing down the truth.

By Alex Nxumalo
76058449

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