SWAZILAND CENSORSHIP GOES GLOBAL

The Swaziland Government has scored another own goal in its attempt to be seen by the international community as a responsible nation worthy of First World status.

As I reported last week, the government has blocked the website of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). This is the first time the Swazi regime, led by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, has censored the Internet, although it controls most of the media in the kingdom itself.

The story of the Swazi Government’s crass action to ban free speech has now gone global as this report from the international news agency AFP demonstrates.

SOURCE

Swaziland opposition says website blocked by government

(AFP) – 7 December 2010

JOHANNESBURG — A banned Swaziland opposition party on Tuesday said the government had blocked access to its website, which had been hosting a poll on whether the kingdom should hold multi-party elections.

The People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) said the government of the small southern African monarchy had "made good on its promise to censor cyberspace" by blocking access to its site, pudemo.org.

"What is clear... is that the Swazi regime is intent on extending its censorship policy into cyberspace," PUDEMO said in a statement.

"Due to the fact that the website is not hosted within the country, it is still accessible everywhere outside the country," it added.

Political organisations have been banned by law since 1973 in Swaziland, which is known for the lavish lifestyles of 42-year-old King Mswati III and his 13 wives.

PUDEMO's website last month launched a poll on whether the country should hold multi-party elections to choose the members of its House of Assembly.

Fifty-seven percent of the 831 people who voted in the online poll said they preferred multi-party elections to the current tinkhundla electoral system, based on constituent chiefdoms and seen as tightly controlled by the king.

"It is not clear whether the new results of the poll are related to the blocking of the website or not," PUDEMO said.

Swaziland's government is known for cracking down on political activists and pro-democracy campaigners.

Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini, a hardline royalist, said in September his government would consider punishing political dissidents by beating their feet with spikes.

See also these posts from Swazi Media Commentary.

COME CLEAN ON WEB CENSORSHIP

SWAZI STATE ‘MONITORS INTERNET’

READ THE TRUTH ABOUT SWAZILAND

SWAZI KING AND INTERNET INSULTS

INTERNET TRUTH ABOUT SWAZILAND

SWAZI SENATORS ATTACK FACEBOOK

MEDIA FREEDOM IN SWAZILAND

FIND NEWS AND VIEWS ON SWAZILAND

AFP ON SWAZI LEADER MASUKU ARREST

This is a report from the news agency Agence France-Press (AFP) about the arrest of People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) president Mario Masuku. Masuku has been charged under Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act for allegedly saying the words ‘Viva PUDEMO, viva SWAYOCO’at the funeral of democracy activist Sipho Jele.

SOURCE

Swazi opposition leader charged

22 May 2010

Agence France-Press (AFP)

Johannesburg - Swazi opposition leader Mario Masuku said Saturday he was charged with terrorism after mentioning the name of his political movement at the funeral of a supporter who died in police custody.

Masuku was speaking at the funeral of Sipho Jele, a timber industry worker who died in prison in the Swazi capital Mbabane on May 4 after being arrested for wearing a T-shirt of the People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) at a May Day rally.

"As I left, we found a roadblock along the way and they just picked me up from the vehicle and I was shoved into the back of the police van and taken to Malkerns police station," he told AFP by telephone.

"I was then charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act because I mentioned the name of the People's United Democratic Movement, Pudemo, and according to the law that was an offence," said Masuku, the group's leader.

He said he was released on his own cognisance after about 45 minutes at the police station, but officers told him he would be summoned to court next week.

Police declined to comment on the case.

"So far there is no information that we can give to people about this case," an officer at the station told AFP.

Jele's funeral was held Saturday with about 200 police standing by, after police last weekend blocked the services, saying they objected to the presence of Pudemo members at the burial, Masuku said.

"This points to the problem that we are facing in Swaziland. There is a strong violation of the people's rights in Swaziland," Masuku said.

Police said Jele had hanged himself, an explanation Masuku rejected as "absolute nonsense".

Political organisations have been banned by law since 1973 in Africa's last absolute monarchy.

The government of King Mswati III is known for cracking down on political activists and pro-democracy campaigners.

Jele had also been arrested under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, a law that Amnesty International has condemned as violating Swazis' freedom of expression, association and assembly.

BAD NEWS FOR SWAZILAND’S KING

Unsurprisingly, King Mswati III of Swaziland has ignored calls from democrats in South Africa not to attend the inauguration of Jacob Zuma as president of South Africa today (9 May 2009).

Calls have come from trade unions, civil society and at least one political party for the king not to be invited because he is the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa and there is no democracy in Swaziland where political parties are banned, parliament has very few real powers and the king makes all the important decisions.

The Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by the king, reported yesterday that the king is ‘not worried’ about calls from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) for the boycott of the king and his entourage.

The Observer showed itself to be no more than a propaganda sheet for the king when it stated in what purported to be a news story, ‘COSATU, which is not new to meddling in Swaziland’s affairs and rubble-rousing about border blockades, released a statement to media outlets including the South African Press Association (SAPA) making unsubstantiated and disparaging remarks about the Swazi delegation.’

The Observer quoted Bheki Dlamini, Chief Officer in the King’s Office, saying, that the country’s activities and movements are not dictated to by COSATU or its ilk.

It went on in similar vein when it said ‘Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Lutfo Dlamini lamented that COSATU and its ilk were relying on lies, hearsay and deliberate distortion of facts by elements that are against the peace and progress in Swaziland.’

And so on and so on. King Mswati and the Observer can huff and puff all they want but opinion internationally is against the king’s visit to South Africa. The line being taken is that as dictator in his own kingdom, he has no place at the inauguration of a man who was democratically elected.

South African newspapers, in particular, have been reporting opposition to the king’s visit. Among reports that I saw are from the Star, the Sowetan, the Independent, the Cape Times and the Dispatch.

Opposition has carried beyond South Africa. The international news agency AFP, The Morning Star, UK, AllAfrica.com and the Tribune of India have also reported on the opposition.

Meanwhile, news comes through that the regular Friday protests for democracy in Swaziland that have been taking place at the Swazi embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, since February are gathering strength. At least 100 people turned up yesterday even though it is reported that King Mswati tried to put pressure on South African authorities to have it stopped. A South African court declared the protest legal and it went ahead.

The king seems to have forgotten where he is. He gets away with turning his state police on progressives in Swaziland but he can’t get away with it in a democracy.

SWAZI DEMOCRAT ON TERROR CHARGE

The president of Swaziland’s People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Mario Masuku was charged today (17 November 2008) with terrorism and remanded in police custody.



The news agency AFP reported that Masuku, made no plea at the magistrates’ court in Siteki, about 180 kilometres (115 miles) east of the Swazi capital Mbabane.

It had been widely expected that Masuku would be charged with being in possession of weapons-making materials.

However, the BBC reported that at the court hearing there was no mention of that accusation.

The BBC reported that Masuko was charged with making statements ‘suggesting that attempted bombings against government structures should continue’.

Masuku’s case will come up on 24 November at the High Court of Swaziland. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Masuku’s arrest came on Saturday one day after Swaziland’s illegally appointed Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini branded four ‘political formations, including PUDEMO, as terrorist organisations. This allowed the state to arrest suspects under the Suppression of Terrorism Act 2008. Masuku was the first to be taken in by police, but it is widely expected among Swaziland’s pro-democracy movement that more arrests will follow.

The BBC reported that Swazi Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini said the groups targeted under the new law were ‘associated with terrorist acts’.

Majahenkhaba Dlamini said he would not talk further about the evidence, but denied the law was being used to silence critics.

‘The idea is not to punish eminent political opponents, it is to punish entities and persons involved in terrorist acts,’ he told the BBC.

Masuko has been campaigning for multi-party politics for many years. He was acquitted on treason charges in 2002, after allegedly calling for the overthrow of the monarchy.

See also

FIRST VICTIM IN SWAZI KING’S WAR