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MEDIA LAWS TO BE REVIEWED; MEDIA WATCHDOG LAUNCHED

The government of Swaziland has agreed to hire a legal expert from the Commonwealth secretariat to begin a review of its controversial media laws, reports the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).

The review is scheduled to begin in June 2006. It follows the adoption last February of a new constitution, which granted limited freedoms to citizens.

A government spokesperson said on 12 May that all media stakeholders would be consulted throughout the review process, and that the review would not affect the drafting of an Access to Information Act, currently underway.

As many as 32 "unfriendly" media laws currently exist in Swaziland, according to a 2003 study by MISA. They include the 1973 Decree, which gives the King of Swaziland wide powers to restrict freedoms of expression, association and assembly, and the Secrecy Act, which forbids journalists from publishing information the government considers secret.

According to Freedom House's 2006 global survey of press freedom, Swaziland is rated "Not Free".

"Freedom of expression is severely restricted, especially regarding political issues or matters concerning the royal family. In the absence of a ? bill of rights, there are no legal protections for journalists and media workers in Swaziland," noted Freedom House.

In other developments, MISA Swaziland and several Swazi journalist associations have finally agreed to launch a voluntary self-regulatory body for the media, three years after it was first proposed.

The Media Complaints Commission will enable members of the public to lodge complaints about print and broadcast media coverage. It will be funded by monthly contributions from participating media organisations.

The Swazi media has been struggling to come up with a voluntary self-regulatory mechanism since 1997, when a government-imposed Media Council Bill was thrown out by Parliament after fierce opposition from journalists and media owners.

Visit these links:
- MISA: http://www.misa.org/swaziland.html
- International Press Institute Report on Swaziland: http://tinyurl.com/nymrd
- Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=16&year=2005&country=6839
- Beyond Royal Rule: http://allafrica.com/stories/200604270858.html