Inyatsi sets record straight on Swazi secrets ‘leak’
THE Inyatsi Group Holdings management has, confidently and transparently, come out to address the alleged Swazi secrets leak!
What started as an official launch of the Gege-sicunusa Road Project turned into a robust and educational seminar regarding journalism ethics and the important role the media has to play in society.
This ensued this past Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Mbabane. The celebrations of the completion of the E647million road project mushroomed into a platform for Eswatini journalists to address the elephant in the room- which was the reports on ‘leaked’ financial documents, allegedly implicating the group. It is alleged that the internal records were leaked from the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit (EFIU).
The alleged leaked documents became a series of articles for the different media houses, which are mainly outside the country- rendering defamatory information about the Inyatsi Construction Group and other prominent figures in Eswatini.
The contents of the reports cannot be repeated because of ethical reasons.
Despite the allegations, the Inyatsi management- assertively, gave room for editors and reporters from the different media houses in the country to make comments and pose questions on topical issues relating to Inyatsi Construction Group.
The management team who tackled the event with wit and transparency were Inyatsi Construction Chief Executive Officer Derrick Shiba, who doubled as a moderator, Inyatsi Group Holdings CEO Paul Lwiindi, Inyatsi Construction Managing Director Sandile Mhlanga, Chief People and Culture Officer Phindile Matsebula, Lidwala Managing Director Dr
Thokozani Nkambule and Maloma Colliery Chief Executive Officer Jabu Shabangu.
After a reporter requested the management to address the report on the leaked documents, Lwiindi swiftly responded- stating that the articles highlighted unethical journalism.
Worth noting is that by Journalistic Ethics and Morals, it is fundamental to have all the sides to a story, especially when compiling a controversial article.
The affected parties are given reasonable time to respond.
This is called balancing of a story for accuracy- and accuracy is journalism’s currency.
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In this case, the different media houses went to town, publishing stories on the alleged leak, without balancing their stories. Lwiindi highlighted that good journalism should be upheld.
“The imbalanced stories that were published on online platforms and social media make one wonder about the ethics of journalism. To my knowledge, journalism exists to educate, inform and entertain and, unfortunately, people are being entertained with lies. Gutter journalism should be ignored and good journalism should be upheld,” briefly responded Lwiindi.
Worth noting is that Lwiindi’s sentiments align with Eswatini’s Prime Minister, Russell Dlamini, who said the media should make it their mandate to self-regulate. The Premier said this while addressing the Editor’s Forum for the first time this year in February.
He pleaded with the media, to introspect if they were on the right path- and if they were not breaking the code of Journalism Ethics in their reporting.
According to the Research Centre of the University of London, accuracy is a central norm in journalism and at the heart of the journalistic practice. As a norm, accuracy developed out of objectivity and has therefore an Anglo-american origin. Nevertheless, the commitment to the rule of getting it right is shared among journalists across different journalistic cultures.
“The history of accuracy is closely related to other central concepts in journalism like truthfulness, factuality and credibility because it raises epistemological questions of whether and how journalism is capable of depicting reality accurately, truthfully and based on fact. Accuracy plays a particularly important role with regard to the factuality of the journalistic discourse, as it forces journalists not only to ground their reporting on facts but to check whether presented facts are true or not—which is reflected both in the description of the journalistic profession as the discipline of verification as well as the central relevance of accuracy for instruments of media selfregulation like press councils and codes of ethics.”
“As journalism moved online and the immediacy of the news cycle requested a faster pace of publication, news outlets often adopted the strategy to publish first and to verify second, although research has shown that the accuracy of journalistic reporting and trustfulness are related. Especially in the current debate on disinformation, many online fact-checking and verification services have thus seen a global rise of attention and importance,” narrates the Research Centre on the importance of accuracy in journalism.
About two weeks ago, the Eswatini Sunday published that the timing of the socalled ‘Swazi Secrets’ had raised questions among different sectors of societies in both Eswatini and South Africa, stating that politicians and government officials in both nations have questioned the motives behind the leak and why the articles are only being published now.
Eswatini Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo denounced the motive behind the leaked internal records from the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit (EFIU) which had been sent to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
Nxumalo came forward to address the issue, saying the leaked documents were a deliberate attempt to undermine the progress and development initiatives of the country.
Nxumalo described the stolen documents as a targeted attack on the State of Eswatini and its leadership, particularly the efforts of His Majesty the King in striving towards a vision of first-world status.
The Government Spokesperson labelled the documents as ‘stolen’ instead of them being conveniently and criminally referred to as ‘leaked.’
“These stolen documents have a diabolical purpose to subvert and sabotage our country’s development,” Nxumalo stated firmly.
Nxumalo urged the people of Eswatini to stand united in defending and protecting national interests against what he described as international journalists manipulated by business cartels seeking to exploit African mineral resources.
The Government Spokesperson warned against falling prey to political manoeuvres and machinations orchestrated by those aiming to incite a national revolt against the country’s leadership and political system.
“We must all say, no to their political manoeuvres and machinations,” he said.
He emphasised the need for decisive action to identify and address the source or sources of the leaked information, suggesting that elements within the system may have been compromised.
“However, it is clear to all and sundry that the ranks of our system and bureaucracy have been infiltrated by people who could do any and everything to sell the soul of our country and nation. Government must be decisive in dealing with the source or sources of this stolen or sold information,” he concluded.
We also published that in a separate interview with Newzroom Afrika, Nxumalo highlighted that the leaked documents were being used to push a false narrative that deviated from their actual content.
“It has nothing to do with the contents therein, but everything to do with the narrative that those who stole the documents seek to drive,” he declared.
Reports from a local media outlet indicated that the 890,000 internal documents included financial records allegedly obtained from the EFIU, forming the basis for reports published under the titles ‘Swazi Secrets’ or ‘Open Secrets’. The article ran by the media house alleged that these reports purportedly implicated politicians, businesspeople, and other prominent figures in questionable financial transactions spanning six years from 2016.
The Council of the National Task Force on Anti-money Laundering also weighed in on the matter and appealed for calm from all stakeholders and the public after the much-publicized leaked internal records.
In a statement released by the Chairman of the Council, Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) Governor, Dr. Phil Mnisi, the Council urged all stakeholders to engage the organization openly on the issue which has dominated local and international media space in the last few days.
“Our unwavering commitment to ethical conduct, strict regulations and confidentiality has ensured Eswatini’s smooth integration with global financial systems. We urge all our stakeholders to engage with us openly. We are confident in our ability to fulfil our mandates, working together to safeguard confidential information and ensure the continued strength and integrity of Eswatini’s financial system. This, in turn, protects the Kingdom’s overall economic well-being. We encourage all our stakeholders and the public to remain calm as the relevant structures address the issue of the alleged leaked information,” part of the statement reads.
Mnisi explained the role played by the Council of the National Task Force on Anti-money Laundering in the context of the series of published stories on the alleged leaked information on local and international media platforms.
“The Task force members implement their respective legislative and practical measures to ensure compliance with international and regional Anti-money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism standards,” Mnisi said.
He said the Council consists of: Attorney General Chief Executive Officer of the Financial
Service Regulatory Authority Commissioner General of the Eswatini
Revenue Authority Commissioner of
Commission National Commissioner of Police Director, Eswatini Financial Intelligence
Unit Director of Public Prosecutions Governor of the Central Bank of Eswatini Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
“These institutions combined mandates contribute significantly to safeguarding the integrity of the country’s financial system. As members of the Task Force, we are dedicated to fulfilling our responsibilities with the utmost professionalism, ethical conduct and adherence to both our mandates and internationally recognized best practices.”
He added: “Committed to financial integrity, we operate under strict regulations and international standards to ensure a strong and reliable financial system. We note that some of the published stories on the alleged leaked information imply that there is an inability amongst the institutions mandated to address financial crime in Eswatini, yet its contents, if accurate, confirm the opposite.
Public commentators too, who have analyzed these published stories on the alleged leaked information, affirm that these institutions work without interference.”
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