By Zweli Martin Dlamini

With the captured media trying so hard to protect King Mswati from public criticism by shifting the blame regarding the alcohol ban on Cabinet particularly Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, this will never be possible with the existence of the  independent digital media.

The current reporting by the highly censored media, reminds me of an article published by State editor Mbongeni Mbingo who shifted the blame about the recent Mangwaneni demolitions to Mbabane Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Gideon Mhlongo, knowing very well that the land crisis in the entire country involves royalty and is far above the jurisdiction of a mere Town Clerk.

Now, the captured media, through its ‘un-written’ Tinkhundla journalism ‘ethics’ strives to shift the blame on Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Ministers just to protect a dictator who has proven to be a serious problem not only to the people but to his own Cabinet and  foreign investors.

Captured journalists should stop tarnishing the images of innocent Cabinet Ministers by blasting them on matters that are far above their jurisdiction, the media should just publish facts, if it’s King Mswati the people deserves to know the truth.

One of the basic roles of journalists is to investigate, gather information and report facts to the public, shifting the blame on Cabinet regarding the alcohol ban exposes the captured media that for all these years, in the absence of online publications, the people were fed with poisonous information.

Some of these Cabinet Ministers were elected by the people and for the captured media to tarnish their images on political blunders  that resulted from the King’s arrogance is not only an act of injustice but defeats the principles of ethical journalism, this might result to the politicians losing votes in the future for blunders they never committed.

One of the reasons the King continues to frustrate the people and rule this country with an iron fist is that, he long structured the media to protect him while destroying other politicians.

Journalists of integrity are expected to do justice for the people and report facts instead of misleading the Nation particularly in such matters that touch on international investors.

Most international investors are victims of King Mswati who want to grab every business in this country, some pumped their money in this country thinking they are investing in a peaceful country, only to realise  that there’s a monster in the house who wants to grab their investments by force.

Now, with the ban of alcohol, many people are losing jobs and the media want to shift that blame on Mandvulo and the Cabinet, is misleading the people now part of the role of the media?

Journalism involves suffering for the truth on behalf of the people, they deserve to know the truth.