Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu,the then Justice Minister once tried to be personal against me, colluding with State journalists in releasing press statements seeking to portray me in bad light in the eyes of the international community,luckily one of her former boyfriends shared some information that I then used to hit her hard.
Pholile Shakantu,now Foreign Affairs Minister later disappeared and avoided to involve herself in the ‘squabbles’ between Government and the editor of this publication after paying a heavy price with her reputation.
The Swaziland News is focusing more on political and socio-economic issues, we don’t chase sexual scandals for Cabinet Ministers and other public figures, and as a result,only 1% stories involving sex made it to this publication.
But personally,as the editor,I have an online platform with over two hundred Thousand (200000) followers where I express myself freely and I normally use that platform to fight my personal battles particularly against people who decided to be personal against me.
As a journalist,I understand that sometimes Government letterheads or State resources could be used to push a personal agenda and once I conclude that a certain public figure is abusing State authority,I won’t touch the King or the Government but will deal with that individual in his personal capacity.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo crossed that line last week,he attacked human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf ’s widow Tenele Maseko for expressing herself after the assassination of her husband.
After realizing that I was defending the widow, Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo came hard on me,labelling me a terrorist and a fugitive, fortunately,I am man enough to face another man.
Once Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo become personal,I won’t accuse the King or the Tinkhundla system,I will face him directly because as a writer, I am capable of identifying a Government press statement with a personal agenda.
Government is not a human being but an institution of the State, there’s always a human being behind every government decision and that human being must suffer the consequences at personally level if he/she decides to abuse power, that’s my modus operandi.
I don’t think the King, the State or Government authorized Alpheous to use that tone against Maseko’s widow, Nxumalo was just trying to prove a point that he is capable of defending the King unfortunately, he wants to throw others under the bus while pushing his political ambitions.
Furthermore,Nxumalo must remember that he cannot claim to love the institution of the Monarchy more than myself who is part of it, anyone who is defending Mswati and opposing democratic reforms hates the King because the truth is; one day the people who are living in abject poverty will overthrow the Monarchy.
I can speak anyhow against King Mswati,he is a Head of State who is subject to criticism.
Advocating for democracy does not mean one hates the King or the institution of the Monarchy.
Mswati must account for the killing of human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko and if Alpheous Nxumalo thinks he will attack anyone who touches on that matter, then he is swimming against the tide.
Personally,I don’t have a problem with Nxumalo defending government as per his job description but,he must never think he will go personal without consequences.
Of late, Alpheous Nxumalo has been a good Government Spokesperson,articulating political issues with the local and international media, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Government decides to renew his contract.
But Alpheous Nxumalo must learn to control his temper, we work professionally with King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane,he just responds and allow a journalist to do his/her job.
Activating personal battles with journalists won’t help Alpheous Nxumalo as he work towards lobbying for the renewal of his contract but instead, he might lose credibility.
As journalists, we work with information everyday, we know even personal matters but we don’t touch those issues, we are interested on issues of public interest.
This culture of “Kuhlala ngalomunye eNkhosini” in order to climb the political ladder will never work for Nxumalo, he wants to be seen attacking Zwemart in the eyes of the King, labeling him a terrorist to have his contract renewed.
Who told him that Zwemart will fold his arms and allow an elderly to ride on his shoulders to achieve a political goal?.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo.