By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini says it would have been easy for Mbongeni Mbingo to become the next Government Spokesperson if, the Swaziland News did not expose him on matters touching on royalty.

In a leaked communication shared to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini by State Intelligence sources, the PM said, he tried to verify if “BakaNgwane” would accept Mbingo as the next Spokesperson only to find that, he was not in good books particularly with regards to the consistent reporting about matters touching on royalty.

The PM did not specify the matters in the conversation but simply said, “inkinga nguletindzaba takhe letibhalwa ngu-Zwemart tale-kaNgwane”.

When the person who was speaking to the PM asked him to specify the allegations, the Prime Minister declined saying;

“Phela lomuntfu ubuya e-China utawusuke asive nekutsi sitsini lana, hamba uyotifundzela wena letindzaba”.

The Swazi Observer editor stands accused of abusing her proximity with Inkhosikati LaMbikiza to bully journalists within the Tibiyo TakaNgwane newspaper and further engage in corruption with impunity.

As a result, over R1million recently disappeared and the Board of Directors is struggling to discipline him because “he is allegedly using Inkhosikati LaMbikiza’s name to intimidate everyone questioning him allegations of corruption.

The Swazi Observer Managing editor is alleged to be abusing the power of journalism to bully Sthofeni Ginindza, the Chairman of the Governing Board to evade accountability.

Workers of the Swazi Observer has been blacklisted by various banks after the newspaper struggled to pay for loans despite deducting the money from the workers’ salaries and this, has been attributed to the rampant corruption allegedly perpetrated by editor Mbongeni Mbingo, he declined to comment regarding these allegations.

But other workers were not paid their pension as the newspaper “struggles to pay the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation(ESRIC) despite deducting the money from workers salaries.

During a Breakfast Meeting with editors, Mbingo grabbed a microphone from Nation Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu and prevented him from questioning the PM on issues of public interest, he is alleged to have done this to protect the Prime Minister hoping that, the PM will then appoint him as the next Government Spokesperson.