HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS BOGUS

Swaziland’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) is denying women access to its offices if they wear trousers.

And women who are in mourning are also barred.

As Swaziland claims to be close to becoming a ‘First World’ nation, it is revealed today (6 January 2011) that the main body set up to support human rights in the kingdom doesn’t understand the first concept about them.

Women in trousers (pants) and those in mourning are barred because they violate Swazi traditional law and custom: even though Section 28 (1) of the Swaziland Constitution says, ‘women shall have equal opportunities as men in political, economic and social activities.’ The constitution also expressly gives women the right to ignore Swazi law and custom if they wish, but the HRC denies them their constitutional rights.

Keen observers of Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, will know that the ruling elite disregard the constitution whenever it likes. King Mswati also tries to curry favour with the international community by pretending that it a ‘democratic’ nation. The king and his hangers-on like to claim Swaziland’s has a ‘unique’ democracy, although in practice this means elections are bogus, political parties are banned, and traditional custom takes precedence over constitutional law.

Now, the HRC is exposed as a sham.

The Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) Swaziland chapter has complained about the ban at the Nkanini national offices where, as with royal residences, women in mourning gowns and in trousers cannot enter the premises.

David Matse, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs told the Times of Swaziland, the only independent newspaper in the kingdom, that the matter was of primary importance to him and would address it as soon as possible.

But instead of instructing the HRC to immediately lift its ban on women, Matse, himself a former Chairperson of the HRC, said ‘Human rights are a vital issue and we are working on it to ensure that visitors who cannot access the Nkanini offices, for whatever reason, are accommodated elsewhere, particularly in town.’

Lomcebo Dlamini, speaking on behalf of WLSA, told the Times, ‘Right now the perception, because of where they are situated, is that they are not totally independent because some people could have reservations about going there.’

Dlamini said the Commission should be located at a place where all people would feel safe and not fear to report cases.

On the issue of trousers, Dlamini said it was ridiculous that in 2011 there were certain places, in particular courts and Parliament, where women could not enter because they were wearing pants.

I have written before about how Swazi women are unable to get their rights. Last week I reported on the High Court where a judge ruled that women were the property of their fathers for life. Last month (December 2010), I reported how a woman was stripped in public on the orders of a chief because she was wearing trousers.

SWAZI CABINET 'NO RIGHT TO GOVERN'

The Swaziland Cabinet and government have lost the moral right to govern, one of the kingdom’s leading pro-democracy activists says.

The whole Cabinet led by Barnabas Dlamini, the kingdom’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister, has colluded in abusing their positions by awarding themselves land worth up to twice what they are paying for it, according to Musa Hlophe, coordinator of the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations (SCCCO).

He says, ‘This, at a time when the government is facing financial meltdown and has to borrow from the banks just to get salaries.

‘Yet the Cabinet can award some of its members a collective E1 million pay rise.

‘I assume the others agreed to it because they are next.’

Hlophe writes in his regular column in the Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, that the Human Rights Commission should act.

‘It is in charge of the Code of Conduct for Ministers and surely this massive unreasonable enrichment is a breach of the code.

‘If it is not the Human Rights Commission then it is the Anti Corruption Commission.

‘Why are our constitutional watchdogs silent?

‘Have they no bark? Have they no bite?

‘The current Minister of Justice [Rev. David Matse] was once Chairman of the Human Rights Commission.

‘He told the country and the world that it would be judged by international standards of transparency and effectiveness. What happened?’

Hlophe also criticises Majozi Sithole, the Swazi Finance Minister, for an interview he gave last week where Sithole was able to offer no concrete plan to get Swaziland out of the economic mess it is in today.

Hlophe writes, ‘As a man tasked with bringing the country’s finances back from the brink of disaster, he seems to have no ideas other than trying to stop small areas of corruption such as the amount of overtime the cleaners in his office get.

‘He says, “For us to get out of this situation we need to turn this crisis into an opportunity. That is for us to restructure and do a lot of structural reforms that we need in a number of areas as a country.”

‘What does that mean?

‘It is bland generalisation and mumbo-jumbo.

‘What we as a people need to know is what structural reforms are necessary in which parts of the country.

‘What have they promised the IMF and how is it going to affect us?

‘We know that thousands of civil servants are going to lose their jobs but which ones?

‘I have not yet met one who is seriously thinking about taking the package government is offering.

‘They know that when the money runs out there will be no more.

‘The packages are the path to certain poverty.’

To read the full article, click here.

NEW SWAZILAND HUMAN RIGHTS BLOG

Here’s a relatively new blogsite that’s worth encouraging.

Jackson Rogers’ blog ‘Swazi Bill of Rights’ looks at constitutional issues in Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

In his most recent post Rogers writes about the Human Rights Commission in Swaziland which he says will be able to investigate individuals at the behest of the state, and could end up being the exact opposite of what any right-thinking people would want from it.

To go to the blog, click here.

PUDEMO ON DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN

People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO)

Press Release - 5 September 2009

1. The Global Week Campaign on Swaziland

The campaign has unfolded with a very high measure of success in highlighting the struggles of the poor and oppressed masses of our country led by The Swaziland United Democratic Front, labour organizations and international allies. We wish to salute our international friends for continuously extending their solidarity and realizing that Swaziland cannot remain and continue to be a threat to democracy in the SADC Region.

We continue to maintain that Swaziland is in a huge political crisis and no amount of denial can resolve it. We believe the only way towards solving the crisis is to:

Release PUDEMO President Mario Masuku and all other political prisoners currently out on bail.

Allow the return of all political exiles unconditionally.

Unban all political parties and a return to constitutional multiparty democracy.

Repeal all unjust laws including Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008, the proposed Public Service Bill, etc.

Allow the people of Swaziland to write their own constitution.

As a result of the campaign, we expect more and more true international friends of the struggling people of Swaziland to come into the country in the near future to assess the situation and take the message forward as opposed to the those who come in the name of ‘tourism, cultural experiences and diplomatic strengthening of relations’ when our people are oppressed and dying. No amount of “public relations” by the state will cover up the existing crisis.

2. The abduction of Wandile Dludlu

The President of PUDEMO Youth League (SWAYOCO) was yesterday (4 September 2009) kidnapped and brutalized by the state security agents. He was physically tortured and assaulted leaving needing urgent medical attention. What the state has done is not new. On a continuous basis members of PUDEMO has been raided and brutalized on the pretext that they had guns or knowledge to that effect. This is a hallmark of dictatorships and regimes that illegally ascended into power. They become so desperate that they use any available cruel strategy to silence dissenting voices and prolong their stay in power. We condemn this act by the state and its agencies. We therefore call upon the international community to apply more pressure on the status quo for the democratization of Swaziland that will come with the respect for human rights.

3. The Human Rights Commission

This is an exercise not worth commenting about. It is of no significance and is not in the interest of the oppressed masses of Swaziland. You only have to look at its composition and the backgrounds of the commissioners to realize that this is another grand scheme of issuing awards to loyal supporters of the status quo. After all no public institution will ever function to truly and honestly advance the lives and welfare of the ordinary people under the existing status quo.