By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Alpheous Nxumalo(61), the Government Spokesperson has labelled Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini as an animal that feeds in the dustbin.

Reacting to an article published on Tuesday where the editor was criticizing Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini for sabotaging Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula, Nxumalo said, he was aware that, the editor “has sources within Cabinet and the royal family but, he won’t be intimidated by that”.

Nxumalo sent his responce to other State journalists on Wednesday and asked them to publish his ‘attack’ on the editor saying he doesn’t want to be seen responding to the Swaziland News directly, however, some of the journalists forwarded the written content to Dlamini later in the afternoon.

In the article where he was blasting the editor, Nxumalo said he was not serving the Cabinet Ministers or BantfwaNkhosi who provide information to Dlamini but, the King and the Nation.

The Government Spokesperson whose extended contract will expire in the next coming six(6) months, then confirmed that, the was not afraid of going home 

“We are not in the service of any individual Cabinet Minister and BantfwabeNkhosi but in the service of the King, country, people, State and Government.I’m satisfied with my contribution in shaping, cutting, curving and perfecting the image of our people, country, leaders and of our system of governance-Tinkhundla.Whether or not I go home in the next 3 months,it's a non-issue for me.Home has never been traumatic experience for me”,said the Government Spokesperson.

On another note, Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini said,he was happy to see Nxumalo reacting to the article he published on Tuesday as “that means he is a regular reader” of this publication.

“He is expressing his opinion based on an article I published on Tuesday morning, he is exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression and opinion. As a writer, I always seek to influence public discourse on certain issues and inform the public regarding what is happening in their country, those implicated in the articles always react in a different way and it’s understandable.That he failed to keep quiet means the article was hard-hitting and effective.Uyambona umuntfu nakatsi mine angikhulumi noma angikutsandzi kukhuluma kodvwa abe akhuluma”, said the editor.