(MISA/IFEX) - On 28 May 2006, a senior government official lambasted the Swazi media for publishing articles he deemed insulting to the new Minister for Health, Njabulo Mabuza, who was appointed last week in a mini Cabinet reshuffle.
The media criticized the Prime Minister for appointing someone with limited education to an important portfolio such as health. The media published stories that touched on Mabuza's educational background. Mabuza has a Secondary School certificate (Form III). One newspaper labelled him a "school dropout".
An angry Director of Sports and Culture, Maswazi Shongwe, lambasted "Times Sunday" journalists at a public gathering. Shouting at the top of his voice, he said he found it wrong that the media had made an issue of the Minister's educational background. He said it was not important that the Minister was a Form III graduate. Instead, what was important was that Mabuza was now a Minister of the crown and should be respected, Shongwe said. According to Shongwe, the media's attack on the Minister's educational background was uncalled for and an insult to the Minister.
The Minister himself has not spoken out against the media reports on his educational background. He has said his limited education will not deter him from performing his ministerial duties to the best of his ability.
