By Zweli Martin Dlamini

It is ironic or rather a coincidence that Montigny Investments, a company with alleged links to Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg is been scandalized by the Times of eSwatini at the time when Rijikernberg is questioning Minister Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu regarding alleged suspicious expenditure within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Times is owned by the Foreign Affairs Minister’s husband Michello Shakantu and, Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu appears to be abusing her powers and proximity to the Times to attack other Cabinet Ministers who disagree with her during Cabinet meetings.

But as journalists, we must not allow Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu to abuse the power of the media to attack other Ministers.

Indeed, there’s nothing wrong with businessman Michello Shakantu owning the Times of Eswatini as a business but, the editorial aspect of the media is globally regulated and therefore, the Times must at all times, adhere to the ethics of journalism and be ‘divorced’ from the influence and control of politicians.

Perhaps, in due course, I will address the editors of the Times of Eswatini because I strongly believe as editors we must put the interest of the country first, the media should not be a ground for political factional battles.

Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu cannot double as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and behind the scene ‘Chief editor’ of the Times and if the Shakantu family purchased the newspaper with an alleged agenda to control Cabinet by influencing the public discourse, then we will have a serious problem in this country because that would mean Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu, will enjoy an unfair advantage over other Cabinet Ministers including Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini who does not own any newspaper.

Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg as the ‘National Treasury General’ in this country, must question suspicious expenditure and ensure that public funds are used for the intended purposes otherwise, this country will collapse amid uncontrolled wasteful expenditure.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pholile Shakantu is not a journalist or an editor and therefore, we don’t want to see systematic media attacks against Ministers who disagree with her in Cabinet, some of us have been writing news for the past twenty(20) years and we know these political dirty game where some politicians use the media against others just to control the narrative.

I will not even entertain the ‘rubbish’ online platforms established by Pholile Shakantu and King’s Interpreter Sihle Dlamini to try and control the narrative, those ‘pit latrines’ have no global recognition.

But I am addressing the Times as the oldest newspaper and one of the major players in the media as a diverse institution whose fundamental objective is to promote transparency and accountability in the public administration.

We have an Association of Journalists in this country and maybe, there’s an urgent need for an investigation amid interference in the independence of the media.

Pholile Shakantu is, through her husband, the owner of the Times but she must not interfere with the independence of the media to push a political agenda against others Cabinet Ministers.

The independence of the media must, at all times, be protected otherwise, we will have a serious problem in this country if everything is controlled.

Journalists must be fair to all politicians and of course, without disregarding the fundamental role of the media to hold those in power accountable.

It is for these reasons I am suggesting that, there’s nothing wrong with the Times holding the Finance Minister accountable but, Pholile Shakantu knows very well that she is failing to justify the huge expenditure within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

It cannot therefore, be a coincidence for a newspaper owned by the Foreign Affairs Minister through her husband, to then start scandalizing the Finance Minister and his companies while Pholile Shakantu evade her public duties as a Cabinet Minister, to account for public funds.