Keep Your Eyes Peeled on This Platform
We need to stay vigilant and report those spreading misinformation
There’s an enormous difference between expressing a different opinion on a topic and spreading outright lies and misinformation.
I had occasion to witness this when I read an article in a local online news outlet in South Africa about an anonymous publication here on Medium spreading misinformation about the assassination on 21 January, 2023, of Swaziland human rights activist and lawyer, Thulani Maseko.
This publication on Medium implicated Zweli Martin Dlamini, editor of Swaziland News, an independent online newspaper, in the killing of Thulani. Zweli Dlamini operates from and lives in South Africa as the Swazi government has declared him a ‘terrorist’.
I concede that those who monitor publications and writers on Medium may be unfamiliar with the ongoing fight for democracy in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), a land-locked country bordering South Africa and Mocambique.
eSwatini is an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III, together with his mother, Queen Mother Ntombi. They exercise veto powers over the three branches of government and are above the constitution.