LIFT HIGH THE BEACON OF DEMOCRACY

Following the successful first-ever People’s Dialogue held on 18 July 2009 and the publishing on the Manzini Declaration, the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations has released an open letter to the Government of Swaziland

The open letter was published as a paid advertisement in the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, today (11 August 2009).

It calls on the Swazi Government to lift high ‘the beacon of democracy, justice and freedom for the people of Swaziland’.

Don’t hold your breath.

Below is the full text of the letter.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SWAZILAND

Swazi Civil Society has decided to write to you this open letter because we feel there is a need to convey, to the government some of the concerns identified and expressed by Swazis from all walks of life who converged at the John Bosco Skills Centre in Manzini on July 18, 2009 to discuss and debate a range of social, economic, cultural and political issues pertaining to the past, present and future of this country.

This message is being conveyed through the medium of a paid advert in the newspaper because we are convinced that we will not have an opportunity to highlight the same given the very way the SMART PARTNERSHIP process is structured. It is certainly not geared for an open and interactive dialogue or a free exchange of views. It has no mechanisms of action or accountability and it falls far short of the Social Dialogue Process that the United Nations and International Labour Organisation promote. The government is fully aware that it is expected to report to the ILO in November about progress on Social Dialogue, Human Rights and the repeal of the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Failure to make progress on these issues may have adverse consequences for all of us in the country.

It is one of the reasons that we call for proper dialogue for the country to progress, but, the people and the international community all know that SMART is not that forum. Civil Society has been kept away from the table until the last minute. We are guests in the process not partners. Our voices will be silenced because we are not permitted to bring a mandate or represent a group.

Our hope is that we reach those delegates at the upcoming SMART PARTNERSHIP two day event so that they fully comprehend the magnitude and urgency of the issues raised during the Sidla Inhloko People’s Dialogue which was a peaceful and open forum to which everyone was welcome.

The main thrust of our gathering was that all Swazis have a stake in determining the future of our country. The men and the women, the young and the old, the rich, the poor, the healthy and the sick.

All of us want to do something concrete to eradicate poverty; we all want to stem the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and provide those of us living with AIDS dignified lives; we are equally determined to improve our health services in all other spheres.

All of us in the countryside and in the urban areas want to live decent lives. We want to be able to afford a balanced diet, pay rent, or own our homes; we want the prices of basic commodities to come down and we want to earn an honest living wage in working conditions that are not detrimental to our health.

We are very concerned about the high unemployment rate, especially as it impacts on the youth, who represent the future of this nation. We want to work together to ensure that Swaziland implements policies that create and maintain employment because this is one of the surest safeguards to stem the worrying rates of crime and insecurity.

Is there a Swazi person who celebrates when a woman is raped or a girl child molested? Is there a Swazi person who is happy to read of yet another woman being killed by an abusive spouse or endure indignities simply because she is female?

We Swazis are a peace loving people who cherish law and order. But this law and this order must be upheld while also protecting our fundamental freedoms - like the right to freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, freedom of conscience and the right to own, inherit and dispose of property, including land.

And speaking of land and our natural wealth, we need to preserve the beauty of our environment which has made Swaziland world famous; we need to balance the need for economic development and the importance of ensuring that we conserve our rivers, mountains, forests and other natural attributes.

Education is one of the keys to our long term sustainability. We need to invest in the technical and professional development of our youth by providing them with free, high quality education from the primary school to the tertiary, post secondary institutions. This education should measure up to the most rigorous international standards because in the 21^st century we live in an interdependent globalized world.

As loyal Swazis, we cherish and revere the institutions of the Ingwenyama and Ndlovukazi which have deep rooted traditions, tremendous cultural significance and a source of pride and identity to all of us. We want to protect these institutions and preserve them. The Kingdom of Lesotho, The United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Norway all have Kings and Queens that are respected and even revered but they are also thriving and vibrant multi-party democracies.

Why can’t we have the same in Swaziland?

We therefore call upon the government of Swaziland to make a bold and courageous step by lifting high the beacon of democracy, justice and freedom for the people of Swaziland. Reach out to those who dissent as well as those who agree.

The Manzini Declaration is our calling card, it says what the people want action on. When the government decides to meet us in a true spirit of partnership, you will find us willing to tackle the massive problems facing this country head on.

There is no time to lose

SWAZILAND’S MANZINI DECLARATION

The full text of Swaziland’s Manzini Declaration has been released, following the kingdom’s first People’s Dialogue.

Leaders, members and representatives of Swazi civil society, the labour movement, political formations, the faith communities, women, youth, rural folk and the general public of Swaziland gathered in Manzini two weeks ago to deliberate, discuss and debate on a wide range of social, economic, cultural and political concerns affecting our people in Swaziland.

The Manzini Declaration is the result and it could become a crucial document in the fight for democracy in Swaziland as it was created and adopted by such a large number of people and organisations.

The Manzini Declaration states that ‘having affirmed our unity and solidarity in our diversity;

Cognizant of the many challenges confronting us as a nation; Desirous of entrenching democracy, peaceful conflict transformation, gender equality, sustainable development and national unity in Swaziland do make the following resolutions:

That we need to come together and struggle for sustainable development, decent work and end to abject poverty in Swaziland;

That all of our people have a right to health, education, housing, security and all the basic amenities of life;

That democracy, justice and freedom is the birthright of each and every Swazi, young or old, male or female, able bodied or living with a disability;

That freedom of expression, assembly, association and belief are constitutional guarantees that should not be violated by the state using any pretext;

That as a nation grappling with the AIDS pandemic, those living with HIV/AIDS or affected by it, directly or indirectly must have access to affordable health and medical services, be free from stigma and demonization in order to live productive lives full of dignity;

That Swazi women and girl children must be safeguarded from rape and other acts of gender specific violence and related outrages;

That our vibrant youth, being the future of the nation must be accorded all the support.

The Manzini Declaration sets out 13 demands around democracy and good governance; human rights; crime and the rule of law; gender and women’s issues; decent work; youth; education; plight of workers in the informal sector; land, environment, food security, agriculture; regional and international affairs; customs, tradition and culture.

To read the full Manzini Declaration click here.

Sikelela Dlamini writes about the People’s Dialogue on his blog. Click here.

ORDINARY SWAZIS DEMAND CHANGE

Ordinary Swazis meeting for their first ever ‘People’s Dialogue’ have drawn up a list of demands to further the cause of human rights and civil liberties in the kingdom.

The ‘Manzini Declaration’ was launched yesterday (31 July 2009) by trade unions, churches and civic organisations including the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations (SCCCO).

The main points of the Manzini Declaration are:

· At least 15% of the national budget should be spent on health

· An education system that meets the demands of the 21st century

· Land reform as a means to ensure food security

· Decent work for all

· Proper equality and respect for women

· Recognition of the importance of the informal trading sector to the economy

· A credible democracy where the people alone choose their government

· Respect for Human Rights

· Adequate and professional policing that makes crime prevention and protection of human rights its priority

· An end to reckless privatisation

· Proper engagement with the youth of the country

· Respect for Swazi culture as a vibrant expression of our uniqueness

· Adherence to ratified international obligations

The declaration follows the People’s Dialogue held in Manzini two weeks ago today which covered a number of issues of importance in Swaziland today including gender equality, child sexual abuse, and human rights generally.

Although organisers stressed that the People’s Dialogue was not meant as an attack on the Swazi state, police nonetheless infiltrated the meetings and two people were arrested and charged with offences under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. One was alleged to have chanted political slogans and the other wore a T-shirt supporting the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO).

At the launch of the Manzini Declaration yesterday secretary general of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions Jan Sithole said the declaration sets out the people’s vision of what we need in the country.

‘It makes demands on government while also committing the SCCCO to working with government to turn the people’s demands into reality. Proper and credible social dialogue and social partnership cannot happen overnight, but we have taken that first step.

‘We know what the people want. It is our job to start advocating and negotiating for their needs. We call on the government to take its first step, take the Manzini Declaration seriously and meet with us as a matter of urgency. They will find us helpful, respectful and constructive.’