By Zweli Martin Dlamini

It is absurd for Vuyisile Hlatswako of the Nation Magazine to conclude that, journalists who deserve to be honored are investigative or political journalists from the print media.

Journalism is diverse and in the absence of a clear framework regulating the selection, we cannot blame the Eswatini Editors Forum(EEF) for the list of journalists honored during the recent  Press Freedom Day.

Qhawe Mamba, the Director of Channel S and the first Liswati to establish a TV station, deserves to be honored, that he is a pro-Tinkhundla journalist does not mean he never made an impact in our society, in fact establishing a TV station is one of the greatest achievements.

But apart from that, Mamba mentored many journalists including Simphiwe Ncongwane who now works for the South African Broadcasting Corporation(SABC), while other journalists groomed by the Channel S Director work for the Eswatini Government and various State owned companies as Communications and Marketing Officers.

The same applies to Martin Dlamini of the Times,he groomed many journalists having started as a reporter before climbing the ladder to become the Managing editor of one of the largest newspapers in the country.

Mbongeni Ndlela, the editor of the Eswatini Positive News online publication is another journalist who, having worked for the Times of eSwatini, went on to establish a media company and he created jobs, so far he is doing well, providing news in the field of developmental journalism that is also fundamental in promoting access to information.

As mentioned, journalism is diverse and the problem starts when other journalists particularly those who worked as political and investigative journalists in the 1980s and 90s conclude that, they are real journalists more than others, Vuyisile Hlatswako has that problem.

Even though I respect Vuyisile Hlatswako’s view because others regard him as an expert in journalism but I feel, instead of criticizing the Editors Forum,we must find a way to improve the idea of honoring journalists who made an impact in our society, there are many journalists who inspired us,some are working as Communications Officers in the various companies.

The Editors Forum must consider improving the idea to enable members of the public to vote for the journalists who made an impact in our society or in their lives,  because journalism impacts the public in many ways, it’s not about investigative and political journalism.

Indeed journalism include environment, business,health sports and community journalism among others, we also have radio journalists who made an impact in our society.

Personally, I read stories from the eSwatini Positive News edited Mbongeni Ndlela because despite the fact that, the online publication is writing positive stories, it is focusing on another field of journalism and I am sure members of the public are also eager to know about Government projects to identify employment or job opportunities.

It is for these reasons I strongly disagree with veteran journalist Vuyisile Hlatswako’s view suggesting that, the list submitted by the Editors Forum was bias, it wasn’t and Chairman Mbingeni Mbingo was right when clarifying that, “it’s the beginning”, more journalists will be honored.

In 2019, donors organized an internship or a journalism training program for me with AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism in South Africa and the Daily Maverick.

When I arrived at AmaBhungane, I discovered that Bodwa Mbingo of the Swazi Observer had finished his own training there, he had followed some journalists from the Nation and other local newspapers.

What made some of us to struggle to benefit from such journalism trainings until international donors identified us from the dustbin where veteran journalists like Vuyisile Hlatswako had thrown us, was that some journalists in this country had concluded that, there’s no journalism without them.

Vuyisile Hlatswako was, at the time, colluding with other journalists trying to suppress me from penetrating the international space and gain recognition, something which I successfully did through hard work.

So Vuyisile Hlatswako cannot criticize the Editors Forum and accuse it of being biases, it is actually him who have a mentality of thinking that a journalist recognized by him is a true journalist and those he hates are not journalists.

A true journalist must recognize the work of other journalists, despite the international recognition, I will be making a mistake if I can conclude that journalism starts and ends with me, in fact I’m absolutely against individuals who think the sun cannot rise without them.

I sometimes criticize Mbongeni Mbingo, the editor of the Swazi Observer but, if you can trace how he joined the Times of eSwatini and subsequently climbed the ladder to become the Managing editor, then you can understand that,he is one of those who worked hard to be where he is today.

One of the things I admire about Mbingo is that he respects Nation Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu, the then Times Sunday editor who groomed him, all of us in this field of journalism we have our bosses who groomed us and Mbingo went on to groom other journalists.

When Mbingo founded the Sunday Observer, he gave me an opportunity to write a column and I remember how he was attacked by some journalists who questioned why he gave me a platform to write.

So we may disagree with Mbingo but he is one of those who, in one way or the other, groomed some journalists, objectivity means you must not allow disagreements with another person to blind your independent thinking.

But apart from that, we need to understand that, many journalists went through persecution even during the Liqoqo era.

After the death of King Sobhuza, some Times journalists including editor Mashumi Tfwala were arrested for writing articles but as mentioned, journalism is diverse, even Qhawe Mamba made an impact in the field of broadcast journalism.

Others include Sigayoyo Magongo,Marwick Khumalo, Bongani Sigcosiyancinca Dlamini and Cedusizi Ndlovu, you cannot speak about radio journalism without mentioning these names.

Vuyisile Hlatswako must present his ideas to the Editors Forum on how to improve the Press Freedom Day Awards and he must also understand that, after all the debates and criticism,journalists who made an impact in our society might, like beauty, be found in the eyes of the beholder.