GOVT ‘REGRETS’ PERCY’S REACTION TO ZWEMART BAN

MBABANE – Government has said that it has noted with regret the position communicated by King’s Office Director Percy Simelane with online publication, the Swaziland News.

This comes after Simelane entertained the online publication despite that government had announced a decision to cut communication ties with it and its editor Zweli Dlamini. Following the announcement of the decision, this publication enquired from Simelane if the King’s Office would comply with the directive. In response, Simelane said the King’s Office was not party to the decision and obviously the meeting that resulted in it. “Therefore there is not much we can say about the statement. Unless I was reading a different one, I did not see any part of it saying anything about the King’s Office. I want to believe we can only be in the full picture once we get a copy of the minutes of the meeting that decided on government’s position in question as key stakeholders in state communications,” was the response Simelane sent to this publication.

Simelane gave the same response to the Swaziland News, which the publication published later on Friday. Yesterday, Nxumalo was requested to comment on Simelane’s response and he stated that government had noted with regret the position that was communicated by Simelane with one terrorist entity that was declared as such by the previous administration of former Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini in the legal notice No 261 of 2022. Nxumalo said therefore, government did not feel obligated to make a direct comment, especially through the media on the position of Simelane in this matter, as it (King’s Office), has never been a subject or party to the statement.

Nxumalo said after the election of a new government in 2023, the Secretary to Cabinet, Victor Nxumalo, issued a circular directed to all principal secretaries reminding them about the existence and enforcement of the legal notice declaration of specified entities notice No 261 of 2022. “The Government Press Office, as usual; issued a statement based on the content and context of the circular to inform and remind the nation about the existence of the same. This was especially important because the nation has just elected a new government to office and some people may not have been aware of the existence of this notice No 261 of 2022,” Nxumalo said.

Aware

He mentioned that the Government Press Office was not aware of what line of path the work of the secretary to Cabinet met with that of the director of Communications in the King’s Office, especially in addressing pr

incipal secretaries and civil servants, therefore, would avoid and reserve comments on the position stated by Simelane through the pages of the declared terrorist entity and its publication. “All government officials and employees are urged and expected to comply with the circular as issued by the secretary to Cabinet and communicated to the nation by the Government Press Office. The declaration on this particular entity and its publication stands till either rescinded or reviewed by the government,” Nxumalo said.

Once again, this publication re-engaged Simelane to clarify and he explained that all he was saying was that the King’s Office had not been engaged on the circular and statement.
In vernacular he said, “Asiyati”. This publication wanted to ascertain how the King’s Office can be divorced from the operations and decisions taken by government.

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