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Media censored

On June 19 2007, a case in which the privately owned Nation magazine is being sued for E5 million (approx. US$ 750 000) by a Mbabane businessman for alleged defamation resumed at the Swaziland High Court.

This followed a series of exposes by the media into alleged perpetual negligence by hospital staff resulting in the death of a young girl last week who died after having been bitten by a rabid dog.

The media alleged the child died because of alleged neglect by hospital staff and the shortage of drugs, a perennial problem which has brought huge embarrassment to the Ministry of Health and has further caused the health sector to gradually crumble.

The previous week Minister Mabuza issued a government memo to hospital administration to deny the media any access into hospital premises without his permission.

On Thursday June 23, 2007, the Times of Swaziland newspaper experienced the effects of the Minister�s censorship order when its photographer, Albert Masango, was denied access to the hospital without express approval by the Minister. Hospital security harassed and pulled Masango out of the hospital premises and carried him out to the gate.

Amid Masango�s protestations, the security personnel stressed that in terms of the new media access �law�, permission has to be sought from either the Minister or his Principal Secretary before the media could be allowed to cover anything inside the hospital premises.

The Times contacted the Minister who confirmed the new order and promised to issue the letter allowing the Times access to the hospital.

However, not only has the media been banned from entering the hospital premises without permission but also the hospital staff has been banned from talking to the media about anything at the hospital.

Media organisations including the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Swaziland have condemned this act of censorship as it infringes upon the right to access information. The media organisations intend to meet the Minister to protest against the media ban.

ENDS/