By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: The proposed media State regulation pushed by Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini and Mbabane East Member of Parliament(MP) Welcome Dlamini will allow Government to decide who can practice as a journalist in eSwatini and who must be banned.

The media Commission Bill that was vigorously opposed by senior editors that include Bheki Makhubu seeks to give Government powers to issue individuals licenses to journalists to practice in eSwatini, reporters without licenses will not be allowed to write news.

A former journalist,now a Manager in the private sector who was among those who opposed the Media Commission Bill some years ago told this publication that, the intention was to target journalists who are critical of the government.

“We opposed the Bill because it was and remains a threat to media freedom.Introducing licenses for journalists issued by Government would mean nawubhale loku labangakufuni,bangathula nje bakubuke bese aba-renew le-license. Manje media yini-ke leyo letobhala lokufunwa ngu-Hulumende as the regulator?”, said the former journalist.

On another note, Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini,when addressing members of the Eswatini Editors Forum(EEF) during a Breakfast Meeting held at the Mountain Inn on Thursday, described the media regulation as a matter of national importance adding that,the media has been failing to regulate itself for twenty(20) years.

“You can’t be hiding behind the leaf in this matter,as I mentioned before, twenty(20) years is not an excuse.We are aware that some owners of the media houses are doing all they can to frustrate the process. As Government we are saying, if you are failing, we will mobilize the owners who are willing so that we work on something because it’s an issue of national interest. Noma ningahamba nibhale ini kutsi Hulumende wants to muzzle, because that’s not what we want”, said the PM.

Responding to this Swaziland News on Tuesday,Bheki Makhubu, the editor of the Nation Magazine said, the intention of the proposed State regulation “is to silence journalists” however, he stated that, in this era of social media, it cannot be possible.

“Naturally,there shouldn’t be anyone even the Government must not be allowed to regulate how we think.When I arrived in the media, there was a degree and it was very hard to write news.So when they introduced this Bill seeking to regulate the media,it was easy to see what Government was trying to achieve, they wanted to shut-us down and decide who should be a journalist.This regulation won’t work unless they shutdown social media, something which they did during the political unrest”, said the Nation Magazine editor.