March 2, 2007
Posted March 29, 2007
Martin Dlamini, Times of Swaziland
Nhlanhla Mathunjwa, Times of Swaziland
THREATENED
Managing editor Dlamini and reporter Mathunjwa of the leading independent daily Times of Swaziland in the central commercial town of Manzini were threatened with death by Catholic pastor Justice Dlamini over a story critical of the pastor, according to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and local media reports.
Addressing a church gathering, Pastor Dlamini was quoted by the Times of Swaziland as saying, “You people will all be witnesses of this miracle, the reporter who wrote the story without the facts (…), I have asked God that he must go so that other reporters will learn.” The pastor added that the editor “must be sacrificed” for approving the publication of the story, according to the same source.
The threats were linked to two February 27 articles relating to a dispute between Pastor Dlamini and his former assistant, according to local journalists. The articles, respectively entitled “[Pastor] Justice grabs car from pastor” and “The car belonged to the church-Pastor Justice,” were printed on the same page, according to CPJ research.