SIKHANYISO: I AUTHORISED INTERNET SHUTDOWN

LOBAMBA – “I signed that article, if given a chance I would sign it again if lives are endangered in the kingdom.”  

The above words were said by the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Princess Sikhanyiso. She was responding to a question posed by Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo during the Portfolio Committee debate of the Ministry of ICT. Khumalo had asked the princess if it was true that she switched off the internet for the nation during the unrest. He based his question on screenshots of WhatsApp messages that once circulated. The screenshots contained what was supposedly messages by Cabinet ministers, begging the princess to shut down the internet. “Is this true? Did you switch off the internet? I do not believe you authorised that. Regardless of the monumental loss we made, I fail to believe that you are capable of such,” said Khumalo.

The princess said as a ministry, they took the decision based on factors such as national security, the spread of fake news and perpetuation of violence through videos that were shared on social media. “We do promote freedom of expression but we still expect accountability and truthfulness. When we see threats to national security, we will take that decision,” she said.
In addition, the minister said next time they would ensure that their decision did not affect businesses and revenue. Meanwhile, Khumalo further said the act of shutting down the internet was unfair and it cost the nation because so many people depended on the internet for business. He further stated that it gave a bad image if a government spokesperson responded by saying ‘no comment’. “You do not say no comment, you got hired to do your job and you say no comment (sic),” he said. In addition, he said the norm of saying no comment gave government a bad image and robbed them the chance to communicate accurate information to the public.

“If you have the nerve to say no comment when you are given a chance to do your work, do it or allow others a chance to do the job,” he said. Khumalo then applauded the ministry of ICT for not including Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) in their budget. He said it was a good move because they did not deserve to be in the budget. “Lithuna ke chairperson akudzingi ube ulivusa, kumele kuchamuke labanye,” were his exact words. The MP said EBIS was dead and it should remain dead because it was not doing any good. Again, when responding to this, the princess said the submission on the government spokesperson was not necessarily for their ministry but the Prime Minister’s office. “Ours is to disseminate information to the public and we try by all means to follow the journalism ethics which among other things require truthfulness at all times,” said the princess when responding. Meanwhile, MP Khumalo said the ministry needed to work around the clock and find a new CEO for Eswatini Television Authority. The position of the CEO for the TV station was left vacant by Bongani Austin Sigcokosiyancinca Dlamini, who passed away. Khumalo pleaded with the princess to find a new CEO.

Money

He said the position needed to be filled so that money was not wasted and that the station was run smoothly. His sentiments were echoed by other committee members, who said the acting CEO had acted for a long time and needed to be rescued. When responding to this, the minister said they were currently looking into a consultant that would help them find a perfect candidate for the job. “The candidates we had thought we found turned out not suitable for the job, so we are now going to find a consultant to help us find the perfect candidate,” she said.

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