By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Members of the Eswatini Observer Board of Directors convened an urgent meeting on Friday morning amid financial challenges within the ‘State’ owned newspaper that resulted to a delay in the payment of salaries.

Journalists,editors,subeditors and other employees of the newspaper are at loggerheads with the Management over unpaid February 2024 salaries,the employees were supposed to receive their wages on the 20th February 2024.

The Board meeting that was held at the Eswatini Observer offices in the capital city-Mbabane was allegedly attended by, among others,Prince Mandla,Make Sigwane,Managing editor Mbongeni Mbingo, Human Resources Officer Sam Malale and Managing Director Allan Sipho Mkhonta among others.

Efforts to reach Mbongeni Mbingo Mbingo,the Managing editor proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

On another note,a document shared by journalists of the ‘State’ owed newspaper to this Swaziland News suggests that, some employees are demanding an investigation into the affairs of the newspaper particularly, on the issues that might have resulted to the delay in the payment of their salaries.

“We urgently want a forensic audit to be done to investigate the Finance Department.Eswatini Observer’s payroll for the month of December and January as there has been staff who are no longer employed here who got paid.GHOST EMPLOYEES. We are particularly interested in the people who are defrauding the company through claims.Please have a look at it today, because we know what happens. Why is Hloniphile Dlamini(Former Finance Admin Control) on payroll yet her contract expired on the last day of November. We urgently want the removal of Nomcebo Vilane(Assistant Accountant) as she is corrupt. We had the King’s Birthday Supplement last year, which wasn’t printed on the day, was anyone held accountable for it?. A new Sales Marketing Manager but not Bonsile Langa, who we know you  want to lead the marketing yet she was divisive and failed here and wherever she went.NB: this will be send to all media houses(both online and print) cause the above reasons we not paid even today”.reads the document from the employees directed to the Board of Directors which held a meeting on Friday morning to discuss the financial crisis within the ‘State’ owned newspaper.

But subsequent to the Board meeting, it has been disclosed that, the Management held another meeting with the employees around 5pm on Friday to try and negotiate with the staff to continue with their duties while the issue of the delayed salaries was being addressed.

The print media is facing financial challenges globally, after the emergence of the online media and or forth Industrial Revolution.