MBABANE:Percy Simelane, the King’s Spokesperson says, banning a journalist is like depriving yourself an opportunity to defend or properly communicate a position.
Reacting to an earlier report suggesting that, the Prime Minister is engaging editor Zweli Martin Dlamini with an alleged intention to reverse the decision, directing all public officials not to respond to this publication, the King’s Spokesperson said even though he was not officially aware of the moves, “responding to the media is the right thing to do”.
Simelane said, he was attacked by an official within the Prime Minister’s Office for responding to this Swaziland News but, he never stopped because as a journalist himself, he fully understands that, “you can never stop a journalist from publishing a story” even if you deprive yourself the opportunity to respond.
“I did not stop because responding to every reporter was the right thing to do and the most professional way of giving the other side of the story in promotion and defense of a position. By training, I still believe banning any reporter from getting responses from you is tantamount to banning yourself from defending yourself. In the course that trained International Government Spokespersons in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2007, I was the only African,” he said.
The King’s Spokesperson further mentioned that, he ignored the ban directing all public officials from responding to this publication because he knew that, he won’t be sustained particularly because, a journalist can write without your response if you choose not to respond.
Simelane said, he was shocked when a person within the Prime Minister’s Office who was never trained or worked as a journalist or Communications Officer, attempted to stop him from doing his job as the King’s Spokesperson, he consistently maintained that he took orders directly from the King not anyone else.
“It will take me time to believe in the alleged change of heart by the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.
King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane.