By Colani Khulekani Maseko.

LOZITHA:Percy Simelane,the King’s Spokesperson says, the Office of the King and Ingwenyama will continue to engage professionally with the Swaziland News and it’s editor Zweli Martin Dlamini and respond to questionnaires either in defense of the King or to promote the institution of the Monarchy.

This comes after Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo released a statement on Friday banning all Government Ministries and public officials from commenting or responding to this publication,Nxumalo said, Government maintains its position that Dlamini and the Swaziland News are terrorists entities.

“Government notifies the Nation of a position with certain proscribed individuals and entities, particularly Zweli Martin Dlamini and Swaziland News(PTY)(LTD). These are declared “specified entities” through Legal Notice 261 of 2022 in line with the Supresssion of Terrorism Act, 2008, in that these entities “knowingly facilitate the commission of terrorist acts”.Government has since issued a Circular Memorandum to all Government ministries advising all Government officials and employees to desist from communicating and/or responding in any form or method to such entities and individuals, including on Facebook and related social media platforms. This is with effect from 19 January 2024”, reads the Government statement in part.

But King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane,in a message sent to the editor on Friday evening,assured Dlamini that Ingwenyama will respond to questionnaires from this publication through his Communications Office.

Simelane clarified that,the Office of the King and Ingwenyama was not involved in taking the decision not to respond to this publication despite being a major stakeholder to the Government.

The King’s Spokesperson was responding after the editor forwarded the Government statement,seeking clarity if the King was part of the decision.

“Unless I read a different Government Press Statement there was no mention of the King's Office in the Government Statement and we were not part of the decision.Professionally and logically we still believe we have an obligation to perform our core-business to communicate in promotion and defence of the Monarch and the Monarchy's positions in the best interest of the country. We still  believe we are one of the key stakeholders in State Communication and we will be invited to be part of decisions that  stand to affect us”, said the King’s Spokesperson.