Times Of Swaziland: TRUTH CAN SET YOU FREE MR PM

TRUTH CAN SET YOU FREE MR PM
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Editor on 20/09/2024 07:12:00


One must acknowledge the overwhelming support received in the wake of the
unjustified assault on both myself and this publication by Prime Minister
Russell Dlamini during the Editors Forum breakfast meeting last Friday.
It is heartening to observe the appreciation our society holds for the role of
the media and the constitutional right to information, which people need in
order to make well-informed choices regarding their lives. They perceive any
effort to strip them of this right as a blatant affront to the nation and, most
importantly, the constitution of the land. ‘Our job is only to hold up the
mirror—to tell and show the public what has happened,’ Walter Cronkite, a
veteran journalist, once remarked and many emaSwati understand and appreciate
this responsibility.
The PM did not like what he saw in the questions posed on Friday and decided to
discredit the person holding up the mirror while dismissing reality as personal
opinion.
The mirror showed a nation needing to know what was being done about arresting
corruption at the highest level, an end to the drug shortages, schools opening
challenges being resolved, if the judiciary crisis was being given due attention
and seek assurances that the new national strategies were not merely words with
no action. His response was to try and reshape these reflections by portraying
this publication as one that has consistently failed to offer any positive news,
knowing very well that the opposite is true. It becomes extremely troubling for
the country when it has a government business leader who can blatantly misinform
the public while live on media platforms. It begs the question; what other
misinformation is he peddling to the public.
Our premier has created the perception that he views truth as mere negative
reporting. This narrow perspective leads him to believe that the optimal
solution for the issues facing this country is to suppress the truth by
silencing the media, thereby creating an illusion that all is well. If he were
to pursue this path, the media would soon be prohibited from covering events
such as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings, parliament sessions, court
cases, crime reports, and anything else he deems as ‘negative news’. In the
real world, Ben Bradlee reminds us that “the public has a right to know what
is going on because it is the public that is paying for it.”
This right is enshrined in Section 24 of our constitution and it is imperative
that we all adhere to it. I would hate to see the Prime Minister follow in the
footsteps of former American President Donald Trump, who, in the early days of
his administration, focused on undermining the credibility of the media. He
referred to it as ‘the enemy of the American people.’
Misinformation
News perceived as unfavourable towards Trump was labelled ‘fake news,’ and
several statements from the president and his administration were littered with
misinformation and denials. This prompted The Washington Post to document the
falsehoods, ultimately reporting that President Trump had purportedly made
30,573 untruths by the end of his term. Our PM could learn from this and refrain
from adopting this approach, as it proved utterly ineffective in concealing the
truth and did not assist Trump in securing a second presidential term. Shutting
down the media engagement with editors does not make the country better; quite
the opposite. The truth, as articulated by Carl Bernstein, is that it is not
subjective; it is determined by the evidence presented. It speaks for itself.
I am a firm believer in dialogue that is rooted in mutual respect, as this is
the foundation for meaningful engagement. Respect is what I gave to the PM on
Friday when posing questions. This ingredient is essential for our healing
process as a nation to prevent the unfortunate events of June 2021 that resulted
in a fractured society. To address this, we converged at Sibaya, a platform that
encourages individuals from diverse sectors of society to express their
opinions, and we contributed to solutions for the betterment of this country.
Notably, even in the face of an incident where a microphone was forcibly taken
from one speaker, the government extended an apology. At the end of Sibaya, a
clear directive was issued by His Majesty the King for us to engage in a healing
journey as a nation with haste (Nkwe). The Prime Minister was appointed to
spearhead this initiative. His role was to bring us together and orchestrate a
timely response to the crises that sparked frustration and dissatisfaction among
emaSwati.
Disappointment
It was anticipated that he would build strong relationships with the various
sectors, especially the media, to advance the ‘Nkwe’ agenda. It is with a
sense of disappointment that we seem him acting in stark contrast to these
expectations. It is imperative that he introspects, revists the mandate and
adopts a change of mindset on his divisive leadership approach, particularly
regarding his attitude towards the media, to prevent our nation from becoming
divided again. It is essential for him to grasp that a dynamic and independent
media is crucial for the success of our monarchical democracy.
We should uphold truth and media freedom as a fundamental principle, not just as
a convenient notion to embrace when it suits our personal interests. As a nation
rooted in Christian values, we must remember the wise words of Walter Lippmann:
“There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame
the devil.” It aligns with the teachings of the Bible that the PM is very
familiar with in John 8: 31 and 32, which reads; “to the Jews who had believed
him, Jesus said, ‘if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Amen.