MBABANE:Zweli Martin Dlamini,the editor of this Swaziland News has shared a different view to that of Nation Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu with regards to the payment of R1.4million to Eswatini Positive News, a media company allegedly owned by Mbabane East Member of Parliament(MP) Welcome Dlamini and journalist Mbongeni Ndlela.
This comes after editor editor Bheki Makhubu questioned the Prime Minister Russell Dlamini why Government paid the media company R1.4million and if there was a tendering process before Government signed the agreement with the media company.
But editor Zweli Martin Dlamini says Mbongeni Ndlela started the project some years ago through BongaNdlela Investment before establishing an online publication that profiles Government projects.
“Personally,I feel we are taking it too far if we can start demanding if there was a tendering process before the signing of the agreement, media companies receive adverts or advertorials from Government without the tendering process.If Mbongeni Ndlela,a known journalist partnered with Welcome and came-up with an idea to establish an online publication to profile Government projects,that was their idea and they deserved to be paid if Government was interested in their service.Ndlela started this project some years ago, he secured a page with the Swazi Observer, profiling MPs and their projects within the various Tinkhundla Centres and he then proposed to work with Government.Of course,after the establishment of the Swaziland News,Government was desperate for positive news to try and neutralize the public opinion and Ndlela and Welcome Dlamini saw an opportunity to propose that project. There’s nothing wrong with selling an Antivirus to try and neutralize a virus that has erupted, I’m just making an example because Government even went as far as contracting a foreign Public Relations company amid the desperation for positive publicity,” said the editor.
The editor said, even though he respects Bheki Makhubu’s view, he feels the two(2) journalists did well to come-up with the projects and the fact that they have employed some journalists.
“The media space must be pluralized,we want to read about Government projects as much as the public wants investigative articles.Mine lengingakutsandzi with the two journalists naboMfankhona ngulokutsi bese bakha lokunye kwema fake platforms bazama kudvunga bantfu, atsi emaphoyisa angabulala emaSwati bese babhala anonymous articles babhadalwe and write misleading information, loko-ke kutawenta siba expoze.Otherwise the Eswatini Positive News project is a good project.Government and State companies pay for adverts and advertorials without tendering processes and we cannot therefore demand a tender just because two emaSwati came-up with an idea that attracted Government funding, let’s all work and serve the people with information”, said the Swaziland News editor.
Eswatini Positive News.