Politics and the Press: A Case Study of the Times of Swaziland and
the Swazi Observer; 1992-1994
Author: Sandile Sydwell Simelane
Date: 1995
Place: Durban, South Africa
Published: No
Type of product: Master Research Thesis in Cultural and Media Studies
Copyright: Sandile Sydwell Simelane and Centre for Cultural and Media Studies,
Durban, South Africa
Abstract
The cultural institutions within the social formation . . . including the . . .
mass media are primarily ideological in form and functions, and together they
help to confirm or deny the power of the ruling status quo . . . . (Gramsci,
1971). This study attempts to make an analysis of the Swazi press as a
cultural institution. It focuses on whether the Swazi press has facilitated in
confirming or denying the power of the Swazi ruling classes.
Swaziland has been under a monarchical system since independence in 1968.
Arising out of a state of emergency introduces in the country in April 1973 the
Swazi monarchy suspended in the 1968 Independence Constitution. Such an
event transformed the constitutional monarchy into an executive monarchy.
In this political process the monarchy had to use some Repressive State
Apparatuses to consolidate and maintain its domination over the Swazi
masses. The event also resulted in the suppression of any forms of
opposition. Since the beginning of 1992, the political formation has been
characterized by continuous contestations between monarchial and political
constitution forces on the other. In this contested political constitutional
process, the government and the opposition have employed the press to put
forward and justify their positions on their preferred political system. The aim
of this study is therefore to analyze how the Swazi press has portrayed such
political processes.

Politics and the Press Times and Observer Case Study - Simelane PDF

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