EU committed to protecting media freedom, EU Ambassador tells Eswatini journalists

EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Karsten Mecklenburg, said this on 30 April 2026 at the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day 2026 held at Happy Valley at Ezulwini and organised by the Eswatini Editors Forum.

Addressing journalists and other media personnel in this event which the EU supported, Ambassador Mecklenburg said as a backbone of democracy, the media helps to provide information required for citizens to hold their leaders accountable.

EU in Eswatini

"Without the media, accountability fails and democratic institutions weaken," said the Ambassador.

He added that the EU remained committed to protect media freedom and pluralism across the world. The Ambassador said the EU, as a staunch defender of media freedom, condemned all forms of threats and violence against journalists.

"No journalist should face threats, violence or persecution for doing their job. When journalists are unable to work, we all lose in that our right to information, freedom to think critically and the ability to hold people in power to account are compromised. Widespread corruption and failure of governance become the unwanted end results," said the Ambassador.

Speaking on the same occasion, Minister of ICT, Savannah Maziya, emphasised the media's role in holding those in power to account and said the media should always report fearlessly on corruption and theft of public money and should resist compromising the truth through self-censorship and other unprofessional conduct.