By Zweli Martin Dlamini

SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff, the alleged multibillion drugs shortage thief is busy assembling a team of elderly journalists to defend him amid calls for accountability.

But Ashraff is failing to understand that, with the dynamics of the fourth Industrial Revolution, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide information and the new era in the media industry has leveled the ground for accountability in the public administration.

In this country, we have elderly journalists who still believe they can take money from powerful people accused of corruption promising to defend them, in siSwati we  say “seyikhonkotsa ilele” when referring to an elderly who believe he can still perform even when the reality suggests otherwise.

Indeed, there’s absolutely no room to clean Ashraff and the elderly journalists are pooling the wool in his eyes, we have forensic reports and he must account for the public funds.

Journalism requires a fresh and energetic mind with the ability to identify story angles, investigate and collect evidence and the willingness to learn new tactics to approach stories.

Elderly journalists are fast reaching the ceiling and they cannot wake-up at 2am and write an urgent story because a majority of them are sick and tired, they must sleep and relax.

Assembling a group of “Bo-Gogo naMkhulu” in the media and unleash them against the Parliament Public Accounts Committee(PAC), forensic companies investigating corruption, independent journalists and the Auditor General won’t help Ashraff.

What we need from Ashraff is the accountability of the billions that went missing within the Ministry of Health, resulting to the collapse of the health system.

We don’t want his elderly journalists to tell us about other suppliers, for now we are demanding accountability from him because there’s clear evidence suggesting that, he allegedly received or looted billions.

This ongoing trend by powerful individuals to seize control of the media in an attempt to evade accountability won’t work, people are dying in the various hospitals and we will continue to demand,as we hereby do, accountability of the public funds.

In conclusion, let me remind all the elderly journalists who are accepting Kareem Ashraff’s money that, this Indonesian “wants value for his money” and that’s why almost every Sunday, Swazi Observer editor Mbongeni Mbingo publishes a story defending Ashraff or attacking those investigating the SwaziPharm Director including the PAC.

Once you accept Kareem Ashraff, we won’t be convinced by your mere denial or consistent reminder that “you are independent”, Kareem Ashraff is a bully and it’s easy to see an article that was first approved by him before publication.

Mbingo sometimes find himself defending Ashraff even on clear issues seeking to demand accountability and as mentioned, Kareem Ashraff wants value for his money.