MBABANE:Independent News journalist Kwazi Masuku, the alleged Senate President Lindiwe Gwebu-Dlamini ‘ex-Ben 10’ has been suspended pending internal investigations amid serious allegations suggesting that, he was involved in extorting and demanding a bribe from an elderly high profile man.
Extortion is the practice of obtaining something especially money,through force or threats and, is classified as corruption and/or a prosecutable criminal offense.
The suspension that was confirmed by Mfanasibili Sihlongonyane, the Managing editor of the Independent News, comes after Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini published a story on Sunday evening, exposing journalists of the Times, Observer and Independent News for alleged extortion and bribery.
“Due to the allegations of extortion to our Journalist and News Editor(Kwazi Masuku), Independent News has taken a decision to suspend him with immediately effect pending internal investigations.Independent News will work with evidence to be presented during it\'s internal investigations to get to the bottom of the matter.The newspaper take these allegations seriously as they are defamatory to the institution”, said the Managing editor of the Independent News in a message sent to Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini on Monday morning.
On another note, the Times of eSwatini Managing editor Martin Dlamini has also confirmed that, an internal investigation into the alleged extortion and bribery scandal involving Times journalist Sabelo Ndzinisa has been launched.
The Swazi Observer has been maintaining silence after the publication of evidence linking the newspaper’s journalist Nkosingiphile Myeni, both Myeni and Ndzinisa allegedly extorted thirteen thousand Rands(R13,000.00) each from the elderly high profile man while Kwazi Masuku was busted in the process of extorting his share.
Kwazi Masuku of the Independent News is an alleged known extortionist in the media, he was allegedly dating Senate President Lindiwe Gwebu-Dlamini and subsequently extorted her, threatening to expose her nudes.
The Times published a story of a female politician who was dating a ‘Ben 10’ promising to reveal the name at a later stage just to put pressure on the Senate President as part of the extortion, the name was never revealed and this publication later gathered that, Lindiwe Gwebu-Dlamini was the female politician.
The Senate President allegedly went as far as organizing a “Car Winning Competition” for Masuku and that project was also marred by corruption allegations, Kwazi Masuku is a former journalist of the Times Sunday.
Journalist Kwazi Masuku(pic: Facebook).