Lobamba– Mayiwane Member of Parliament Sicelo Khungankhosi Dlamini has called for improved remuneration and recognition of journalists as essential service workers, arguing that media practitioners play a critical role in society despite earning low salaries.
Dlamini made the remarks while contributing to the debate on the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology’s First Quarter Performance Report in Parliament om Thursday.
The MP questioned whether journalists were being paid fairly, saying they work tirelessly, often during the day and at night, to keep the nation informed.
“Journalists work effortlessly and should be declared an essential service. Looking at the job they are doing, are they paid fairly? They work day and night, yet the gap between what they earn and what their bosses earn is so big,” Dlamini submitted.
He said many journalists continue to struggle financially despite the important public service they provide.
Dlamini further argued that poor remuneration could undermine the quality of journalism, warning that low salaries expose journalists to ethical challenges.
“When you compare their salaries with those in other countries, it is a disaster. They end up compromising the quality of their work because of bribes,” he said.
The legislator also raised concerns about editorial practices in some sections of the media, alleging that certain newspapers filter information before publishing it.
He questioned whether such publications were properly regulated, claiming that he had previously been misquoted and mistaken for another Member of Parliament.
“Some newspapers filter some of the information. Are they regulated? They once misquoted me for another MP,” he said.
Dlamini said journalists should be treated fairly so they can continue delivering accurate and quality news to the nation.
Dlamini also appealed to mobile network operators to review the validity period of certain data bundles, saying consumers should be allowed sufficient time to use the data they purchase. He argued that the expiry of some bundles after 24 hours disadvantages customers who are unable to consume all their data within that period.
“You cannot tell people that the bundles they buy expire after 24 hours and then take back what they have not used. I think that is unfair,” he said.
Discussion about this post