UNWRITTEN MEDIA ‘BAN’ FOR MPS LIFTED

MP Johane Shongwe (R) and Saladin Magagula seeking clarity about their ban from the electronic media from the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Dumisani Ndlangamandla in one of the workshops that was held at the Royal Swazi Convenction

MBABANE – For the first time since they were elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in 2013, the legislators will now have the privilege of addressing the nation and their constituents on national radio.

 This, after the Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) lifted the unwritten media ‘ban’ from national radio, especially during prime time programmes such as ‘Letishisako’ Breakfast Show and ‘Letisematseni’, which is aired after the 6pm news on a daily basis.

Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Dumisani Ndlangamandla expressed his excitement at the news that an MP was hosted on radio yesterday morning, addressing his constituency news. “I have always told parliamentarians that there was no media ban and that like every other citizen in the country, the legislators were allowed to address issues of development in the country,” said Ndlangamandla.

He said he had spoken to the SBIS management from time to time that they should not exclude the MPs, as they went about their duties of reporting news in the country.

 The media ban dates back to the ninth Parliament, when MPs were banned from State media after Cabinet felt that some of them were using the media as a campaigning platform and to fight their personal battles.  Thereafter, several select committees were chosen to address the issue and although the House of Assembly had made resolutions that they be allowed on both Swazi TV and SBIS, no action was taken.

As a result, Minister Ndlangamandla was once banned for a three-month period from Parliament until the ban was lifted. The House of Assembly went as far as freezing the ministry’s budget because the House resolution had still not been met. The minister said he hoped that this would continue because legislators were allowed to address the nation, especially on issues of development.              

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