By Zweli Martin Dlamini

After the police killed Sipho Jele, a member of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) merely for wearing a t-shirt belonging to his political party, I was already in the media and I know how the Times of eSwatini was manipulated by the State to convince the public that Jele hanged himself with his shoelace.

The story was covered by Musa Nhleko, the then Times journalist and the captured media has been complicit in assisting the Tinkhundla cruel regime, by reporting in a manner that downplays the killing of human rights defenders and political activists in the country.

Mfankhona Nkambule, the Times Weekend Assistant editor recently wrote an article, trying to downplay the seriousness of human rights violations in the country, he counted political activists who are not in exile because, according to his thinking, they don’t feel threatened in the country.

But the captured editor who is allegedly part of the State intelligence, made a mistake by mentioning Penuel Malinga, the PUDEMO Secretary General(SG) who survived a hail of bullets after being attacked by State agents inside his home, Malinga was with his wife when the Tinkhundla system agents attempted to kill him.

Nkambule further mentioned Wandile Dludlu, the PUDEMO Deputy President who was also attacked by the State during the political unrest including the President of the Ngwane National Liberatory  Congress(NNLC) Sibongile Mazibuko,who was attacked by the police inside her home for organizing a protest action in demand for democracy.

Writing is a very unique skill, when you write you first travel to own world of imagination and, the way you play around with the words to tell the story and capture the attention of the reader, is a rare skill and as a writer myself, I’m able to read and contextualize motives behind articles.

But a writing skill might be dangerous to the author if the author decides to use it to consistently spreads lies and propaganda, the author might end-up believing his/her own lies.

Tinkhundla has a tendency of killing civilians with different political views, arrest human rights defenders,send others to exile and then say “eSwatini is peaceful, we have no political prisoners and exiles”.

They will consistently repeat the lies and propaganda and end-up believing their own lies, Times Assistant editor Mfankhona Nkambule, an agent of the Tinkhundla system of Governance, has reached that stage, he is now writing the propaganda as an opinion and believing his own lies.

In journalism there are different styles of writing, there’s a “direct speech”, where we quote the source and “reporting” where the writer narrates events that unfolded, these styles of writing are regulated and must be fair and impartial.

Then there’s an “opinion article” that is not even easily challengeable in court because an opinion is not a fact but an opinion of the author on the subject matter.

But even though an opinion is highly protected as part of freedom of expression and in terms of the law of defamation, an opinion might expose your stupidity as the editor because it portrays your thinking capacity on the subject matter.

Assistant editor Mfankhona Nkambule, perhaps due to hunger and desperation,has been influenced by the Tinkhundla regime such that, he opted to write an opinion article trying to justify that, PUDEMO leaders who were attacked with State weapons during the political unrest, are safe in eSwatini that’s why they are not in exile.

Nkambule tried to imply that, those in exile might be exaggerating that, they are in danger, this State intelligence agent embarrassed himself just to please Tinkhundla system.

The Assistant editor once tried to portray himself as a pro-democracy journalist to remain relevant, be closer to those calling for democracy so he can spy them but now, he is failing to pretend because he wants Tinkhundla to reward him.

PUDEMO leaders have written documents where editor Mfankhona Nkambule was requesting the political party to recommend him to donors, he wanted PUDEMO to confirm that “he is a pro-democracy journalist” so he can benefit from donors.

After learning that PUDEMO was refusing to assist him defraud donors, Nkambule opted to attack those calling for democracy including PUDEMO.

Let me warn Nkambule not to dare try to use my situation to justify his nonsense and please Tinkhundla, the fact that Government is persecuting me for writing critical articles is well-documented, millions of public funds have been spent on lawyers, private investigators and State police and soldiers just to get me, I am still here writing articles.

The world is governed by international laws and if, those who are in exile are not telling the truth about their situation but, they are facing crimes in their personal capacity as Mfankhona Nkambule suggests, some of us would have long been apprehended by INTERPOL.

We are receiving international protection because the world and/or international human rights organizations, have conducted their own research about us and realized that, indeed, we are being persecuted.

Nkambule is entitled to his own opinion controlled by issues of the stomach, being in exile is not a joke but I still believe what Secretary General Penuel Malinga and PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya went through after being attacked with State weapons merely for demanding democracy, cannot be easily downplayed.

I will not blame Nkambule, he expressed an opinion that is within his level of thinking and he must never try to portray himself as a successful journalist.

Kute i-journalist lengasebenta for close to thirty(30) years ilale esipontjini emcashweni, iphindze ishayele public figures icele ema-electricity units because of financial desperation, angimtsatsi serious nje umuntfu lohlulwa imphilo abe asebenta ahola bese ucabanga kutsi he can think for the entire country just because he has the privilege to write for a newspaper.

I am not sure if the Assistant editor knows the costs of a car, a building material, including inkhomo yekukhonta, that’s why he sees nothing wrong with Penuel Malinga, whose R1million Ford Ranger and his home was attacked.

Maybe, that’s why he sees nothing wrong with what happened to Mlungisi Makhanya whose multimillion home was bombed with military weapons and, Wandile Dludlu’s children who witnessed their father’s car burnt by State agents.

We haven’t seen suspects appearing in court for allegedly bombing the homes of the political activists because, this was a State project. 

Personally,I know what these political activists went through because apart from being a journalist, I am a family man and know how difficult it is to build a home and own a car.

Mfankhona Nkambule might be like the late Swazi Observer editor Donny Nxumalo, who praised Tinkhundla system for years and as members of the Editors Forum, we ended-up donating for his funeral because Tinkhundla system dumped him.

Personally, I perceive any journalist who try to protect Tinkhundla amid the ongoing human rights violations as a scribe who is approaching the end of his journalism career, Nkambule must continue praising Tinkhundla but the truth is; human rights are violated in this country, he will never downplay that.

It’s a personal decision for PUDEMO’s Penuel Malinga, Wandile Dludlu, Colani Khulekani Maseko, Sakhile ‘Awviva’ Nxumalo and others not to go to exile but, that does not mean their lives are not in danger.

The time for the captured media to mislead the people with regards to the political situation is over, we will portray the right picture of what is happening in this country.

In conclusion, let me further mention or repeat my previous sentiments, I will not be told by a captured journalist how to react against police officers who attacked my family and threaten my life, that should sink in State Intelligence agent Mfankhona Nkambule’s stupid mind.