By Nokwanda Mamba

MBABANE:Zweli Martin Dlamini, the editor of the Swaziland News is currently harassed and receiving death threats from King Mswati’s first born daughter Princess Sikhanyiso, the Minister of Information Communication and Technology (ICT).

The editor received text messages from the Minister who accused Dlamini of aiming for political imprisonment, she further uttered ‘pregnant’ statements saying no one was going to kill him.

“You are clearly aiming for political imprisonment but in symphathy, I say, no one will turn you into a hero,Mr Dlamini. You are not becoming a martyr: no one is going to kill you, sorry love. You and your role model shall remain cognizant of only one thing: laSomhlolo leli, utatilila(meaning: this country belongs to Somhlolo, you will soon regret)” read the text message sent to the editor by the Princess.

It has been disclosed that for almost two weeks, the King’s daughter has been harassing the editor, this was after he exposed how the Princess was elevating herself as the third most senior person in the country and secretly plotting to seize the operations of government.

This week, the editor published an article where he criticized King Mswati’s Speech from the Throne under the headline “King Mswati’s speech is actually a lie from the Throne” which royal insiders said angered the Princess.

The editor said he will report the harassment and death threats issued by the Princess to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York and other international media organizations where he was a member. 

“This is a serious threat and interference in my duties as a journalist and I will report and further forward these text messages directly to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York and other international media organizations. It doesn’t make sense to report Sikhanyiso to the police as her family is above the law in this country and media organizations here are captured,” said the editor.

Sources within the Ministry of ICT told this publication that the Minister tried to influence her official to find possible ways of shutting down the Swaziland News Online, however, she was told this was not possible as the domain was foreign registered.

“She wanted the Director of Media to shut down the publication but was told this was impossible as the domain was foreign registered” said the source.