Foreign journalists expelled

Swazi police expelled two foreign journalists from the country, reportedly telling them never to return, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) reported on Thursday. South African journalists Themba Molefe and photographer Pat Seboko, both working for the ‘Sowetan’ newspaper, were stopped at a road block and held for two hours. They were then driven about 40km to the Ngwenya-Oshoek border crossing and told to leave the country.

In a separate incident on 7 November, at least four South African journalists were reportedly harassed and threatened with deportation. The ‘Mail & Guardian’ reporter, Sechaba ka’Nkosi and photographer Ruth Motau, Justin Aresntein of the Africa Eye News Service (AENS) and Khatu Mamaila of ‘The Star’ were allegedly harassed by the chief of Swazi Intelligence, Jomo Mavuso, while they were covering a planned demonstration in the capital, Mbabane.

Mavuso reportedly accused South Africans of “inciting instability” in Swaziland and allegedly promised to be their “worst nightmares”. He then ordered them to leave the country, but they all managed to evade him and remain in the country for a couple more days. Arenstein told MISA that Mavuso had threatened to close down the Mbabane office of the AENS.