King Mswati III has ruled Swaziland, the last absolute monarchy of Africa, for 17 years. There are strict limits on press freedom in the country, especially concerning criticism of the monarchy. A new censorship policy for the state media of the country was announced in the beginning of April, that included a ban on any news coverage that could have a "negative bearing" on the king and his government.

Muzie Yende is the assistant news editor of "The Times of Swaziland," a private daily with a circulation of 20,000, established in 1897. While he does not find the overall situation for independent press very difficult, he thinks that covering the king is delicate.

"We are having difficulty in dealing with issues relating to the monarch because we are considered un-Swazi whenever reporting negatively about the king. This is so because there is no official spokesperson for him."

According to Mr Yende, the problems spring rather from people surrounding the king, rather than from the king himself.

"The king has always assured the media of his support for the freedom of expression. It is because of this that he is free to answer any questions raised by the press with regard to any sensitive issue in the country. The only major problem is that the people around him try by all means to make sure that the media does not get an opportunity to sit with him and discuss these issues. Even at press conferences, some of the people around him make sure to prevent the journalists from asking certain questions, not because the king cannot answer them but because they feel it is un-Swazi to do so."

Mr Yende believes that international pressure could change this problematic situation.

"Protests from the international community do serve a purpose. The king is always concerned about the negative image portrayed of Swaziland and the way it is governed. Whenever he is asked about the international community protests against the kingdom, the king expresses his concerns and wishes such would not happen."

When asked what he thinks of the future of the independent press of Swaziland, Mr Yende is quite positive.

"The future of the independent press is somehow not bad, especially because changes are slowly taking place in the government. However, there should be people in the government who would understand the role of the press. Also the media itself is slowly taking up the challenges and is making sure that it is fighting back any of the aggressive laws."

And how do the Swazi media celebrate the World Press Freedom Day?

"It is celebrated through marches in the capital city and lectures conducted to sensitise the people about the importance of the press."