MISA-Swaziland Statement
7 February 2013

Swaziland’s only privately owned newspaper, Times of Swaziland, has introduced an initiative aimed at assisting people who are victims of abuse.

In the Times on Tuesday 5 February, page ten, there was an article about the alleged rape of a four-year-old. Underneath the article appears an ‘information template’, or ‘contact template’, which has the contact details of the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA), as well as information on how and where to seek help (see picture). The template, envisioned to appear under most articles that mention abuse, not just articles that mention SWAGAA, reads as follows:

For help call SWAGAA’s toll-free line at 951, or 25052899. Both numbers operate Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm. For counseling go to SWAGAA’s Manzini office, Mababane Government Hospital, Hlathikulu Government Hospital, or Simunye Community Services.

It is also hoped that the information will be useful to people who are simply seeking further information about any matter that deals with abuse.

The ‘contact template’ idea was suggested to the Times by the Swaziland chapter Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Swaziland), a media watchdog that promotes freedom of speech. MISA-Swaziland would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Times of Swaziland for entertaining the idea and then introducing it.

Times of Swaziland article with ‘contact template’ at the bottom

For comments or queries, please contact:
VuyisileHlatshwayo, MISA-Swaziland National Director
misa.nd@realnet.co.sz