Govt aims to plug embarrassing leaks

Swaziland's new cabinet, appointed by King Mswati, has made a crackdown on leaks to the media by government officials one of its first priorities. "Government workers who leak government documents to the media will be arrested," announced Prime Minister Themba Dlamini in a statement. He said the media would be given press statements on government activities, but all other information would be considered unauthorised, with arrests and prosecution awaiting violators. King Mswati's government was condemned in 2003 by the media advocacy group Reporters Without Frontiers as a persistent violator of press freedom. "When parliament convenes [in February 2004], we will press for the formation of legislation to more stringently control press activities," Enterprise and Employment Minister Lutfo Dlamini said on state-owned television. Dlamini was named in press reports as a benifiary of a medical fund intended to assist only indigent Swazi children in need of surgery in neighbouring South Africa. The Times of Swaziland printed government documents showing R80,000 (US $12,000) of Dlamini's South African hospital bills had been paid by the fund, which the health ministry had previously said was insolvent. The newspaper juxtaposed his treatment with the story of a critically ill nine-year-old boy in need of a kidney transplant, who was not helped. Dlamini plans to sue the newspaper. The Swaziland National Association of Journalists has condemned the cabinet's alleged anti-press attitude since being sworn-in last month. "If cabinet wants to make media legislation, it should make a bill that helps media to have access to [government] information," said the president of the journalists' union, Maxwell Mthembu. Mthembu defended as legitimate press questions raised over the enterprise minister's use of government money intended for poor children for his personal medical expenses. "The question that was raised by the media was where did the money used to cater for Dlamini come from if the youngster requiring an operation was turned back with claims that the fund was depleted?" The Times of Swaziland said in an editorial: "Dlamini wants to have the media censored when parliament resumes next year because for a while he saw himself as destitute while the media did not." A draft constitution written by King Mswati's brothers lists press freedom under a chapter devoted to human rights. However, in a monarchy where the king's word is final, no human rights are absolute, the constitution notes. "The king is not above the law, the king is the law," Attorney-General Phesheya Dlamini, another palace appointee, said in a recent press interview. But the prime minister this week seemed to backtrack from his earlier hardline position towards the media. "I hope I will be able to maintain a good working relationship with reporters throughout my term. There is a very high possibility of reintroducing weekly press conferences, where reporters can pose questions directly to me," he told a press conference. Reporters in attendance privately noted that no previous premier had hosted weekly press conferences. "There is nothing to 'reintroduce'. But the premier said he recognises the role of the press in creating an open and transparent government. That attitude is welcome, but inconsistent with talk of arresting government workers who speak with the press," commented one journalist.