Disturbed by the stereotype of a typical Swazi male as a misogynist and polygamist, Swazi men are determined to show the positive side of African male culture and are reconsidering their roles as husbands, fathers and family providers. "I don't think we knew how bad we were until we started reading news reports about the chauvinistic Swazi man," laughed labour union organiser Charles Mdluli, a member of the Swaziland Alliance of Men. "We are out to prove that Swazi culture provides for strong men who are still sensitive to others."

The draft of Swaziland's first home-grown constitution has tried to balance the concerns of a royal establishment keen to retain power, and local and international demands for political reform. The much-delayed constitutional project was initiated by King Mswati III, over the objections of pro-democracy groups who wanted a "people-driven" constitution.

The Swaziland monarchy has retracted a statement that caused a mass resignation of the country's appeals court judges last year and plunged the tiny southern African country into a constitutional crisis. The six judges, who are all South Africans, had said they would return to the bench only if King Mswati III undertook to comply with court orders, which the monarchy repeatedly refused to do until now.

Women's groups in Swaziland are taking a more active role in shaping gender policy, ahead of the release of the first draft of the country's new constitution by King Mswati III. Property ownership, currently illegal for Swazi women, is one important area of concern.

PUDEMO Secretary General IB Dlamini has been arrested in Swaziland for a speech calling for a people's offensive on Worker's Day. The release of PUDEMO President Mario Masuku from jail recently did not mean a change of heart on the part of the Mswati's government, reports the Swaziland Solidarity Network.

Swaziland is facing a water crisis after hoped-for summer rains failed to materialise, and a dry autumn is expected to be followed by a rainless winter. Coming on the heels of last year's severe drought, the impact of the water shortage is already being felt, and is expected to worsen a national food emergency.

A coalition of animal rights and wildlife preservation groups claimed Tuesday that they had blocked - at least temporarily - two U.S. zoos from importing African elephants from a Swaziland preserve.

The Swaziland Environmental Authority (SEA) has surprised environmentalists by threatening to shut down one of the country's oldest industries for dumping toxic waste into an important river. "We thought the SEA was just a ploy by government to give the appearance of caring about environmental issues, that in fact it would be as ineffective as government's Anti-Corruption Unit, which does nothing to deter government malfeasance," said Mbongeni Lukhele of the environmental group Great Cross.

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from over 115 countries, has called upon the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to strongly condemn the recent decision of the Swaziland government to introduce a new censorship policy.

Opposition group the People's United Democratic Movement on Monday threatened to intensify a political campaign against the Swazi government if it failed to meet its demands within seven days. “Already the international community has taken note of what is going on in Swaziland. If the government fails to heed our concerns we will make sure that increased pressure is brought to bear on the king to affect meaningful changes," Gabriel Mkhumane, the chief representative of PUDEMO for Africa and the Caribbean, told IRIN.

The failure of Swaziland's pro-democracy movement to mount a major anti-government protest this week as promised, has political observers wondering whether the domestic opposition has the muscle to effectively promote political reform.

Recently appointed Minister of Information Abednego Ntshangase announced on Tuesday, April 8, a new censorship policy for state media in the southern African kingdom of Swaziland. Speaking at his first official appearance before the House of Assembly, Ntshangase told parliamentarians, "The national television and radio stations are not going to cover anything that has a negative bearing on government."

Swazi Minister of Information Abednego Ntshangase this week announced a new censorship policy for the state-owned electronic media, raising concerns about the validity of a bill of rights promised in an upcoming palace-written constitution.

A Swazi chief shrugged off the stigma associated with AIDS in this conservative country and admitted at the weekend he was HIV-positive, surprising and pleasing activists battling the silence that often surrounds the disease.

Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), the civil society umbrella group, says that it plans to picket in South Africa next week against human rights violations in its country. Bongani Masuku, the SSN secretary-general, said in Johannesburg that the demonstration would be held outside the Swaziland consulate, in Braamfontein, on April 12. "Gross violation of human rights, strategic intimidation tactics perpetrated by the government on the judiciary, and suppression of women in Swaziland, have reached a stage where they are unbearable," he said.

Swaziland may not harbour weapons of mass destruction, but sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy, that rules this kingdom of less than one million people, is becoming increasingly nervous about the doctrine of United States President George W. Bush, which finds little tolerance for unelected regimes.

In a bid to better combat child abuse, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has provided the Swazi police with closed-circuit television systems to record witness testimonies to help in abuse cases. The 31 closed-circuit systems and video recorders donated by UNICEF last week were expected to help the police build solid evidence for court cases, and could serve as a deterrent against abuse.

King Mswati III has once more become embroiled in controversy, this time over statements he made that the custom of polygamy did not contribute to the spread of HIV/Aids, contradicting studies that have established a connection.

A parliamentary select committee this week recommended the government's controversial purchase of a luxury jet for King Mswati III should not go ahead.

Widows who have been bereaved within the past two years have been banned from running as candidates in this year's parliamentary election. This has enraged women's empowerment groups who are already bristling under cultural restrictions that regard Swazi women as legal minors.