City Press has been unofficially banned in Swaziland after uncovering a sex scandal involving the adultery
of the King’s 12th wife two weeks ago.
City Press has been unofficially banned in Swaziland after uncovering a sex scandal involving the adultery
of the King’s 12th wife two weeks ago.
Sibusiso Mhlanga, a youth activist, was arrested on 1 August after a police officer saw him making photocopies of a City Press article about the scandal.
The article exposed the affair between Nothando Dube, one of the 14 wives of absolute monarch King Mswati, and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ndumiso Mamba, who has subsequently resigned.
Lucky Lukhele, spokesperson for the Swaziland Solidarity Network, said security forces were instructed to stop the circulation of City Press in Swaziland by buying all the newspapers when they hit the streets over the past two weeks.
On Wednesday City Press reported that Superintendent Wendy Hleta, the deputy spokesperson for the police, said the paper has not been banned in the kingdom.
Hleta did however confirm the arrest of Mhlanga, a member of the banned Swaziland Youth Congress for contravening copyright laws by making photocopies of the paper. Mhlanga has since been released.
