SWAZI SOLIDARITY NEW YEAR MESSAGE

The following is a New Year message from the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), South Africa Chapter.

The Swaziland Solidarity network [SSN] takes the opportunity to wish all South Africans, the ANC-led alliance and its mass formations, Cosatu [Congress of South African Trade Unions] and the SACP [South African Communist Party] a wonderful and New Year season celebrations.

We also thank thousands of ordinary SSN members and volunteers that defied a subdued internationalism and demonstrated selfless solidarity by mounting massive political campaigns in 2009, demanding a democratic Swaziland, the scrapping of repressive legislation and release of many friends and comrades who’ve been in and out of jail, including President Mario Masuku, Thulani Maseko, Wandile Dludlu and Amos Mbedzi.

We wish to remember our fallen comrades Jack Govender and Musa Dlamini, who laid down their lives for a democratic Swaziland.

In particular we convey our warmest and revolutionary wishes for 2010 to the oppressed people of Swaziland, the democratic forces led by Pudemo [People’s United Democratic Movement] including women and children in particular.

We remain steadfast and highly inspired by their unrelenting political struggle - in a sea of poverty, without food, assistance, resources - to confront the dictatorship of King Mswati and soldier on to construct their society along genuinely democratic foundations. We are determined to reproduce our efforts in the New Year, to help them defeat the Royal Monarch led by King Mswati and his corrupt cronies.

We call upon all higher education institutions in South Africa to provide opportunities to young Swazis, whose educational future is grim, following their rising against a feudal family system of political rule that marginalises all activists and their children from educational opportunities.

We call on the international community to cease its support of Mswati, especially those involved in the hypocritical provision of arms of war, or any covert and militarised training of whatever sorts. We deem this duality of action an action against peace and part of outmoded doctrines of pre-emption, unilateralism and constitutes very serious violation of international law.

It is our view that the appropriate policy for all external regimes, is to allow the people of Swaziland to exercise their right of rejection to an obsolete political system. The freedom of the Swazi people should not be traded to distant doctrines of new world order, which are characterised by wars and rivalries for the control and domination of the world’s regions and poses very limited possibilities for Swaziland democratic advance.

But in our evaluation, the main principal political challenge lies with South Africa and nations in the regions, to break the cycle of silence on the excesses of Mswati induced political crisis.

King Mswati has defied all norms of democracy including many of agreed protocols on elections, on free political activity, on the rights of trade unions and the media. He came down guns blazing on democratic protest in the past few years.

He’s demonstrated inclination and readiness to partner dictators like [Robert] Mugabe in Zimbabwe and others, in destructive arms exchange projects. We know that he’s a regional warmonger who promoted the invasion of sovereign nations like Madagascar whilst in his position as the Chair of the security organ of SADC [Southern Africa Development Community].

We know his stand against all rights of young women to free choice, under the guise of culture. He’s an auxiliary of the countries promoting unfair trade and permanent imbalances through the EPA’s, against regional integration.

And he benefits his family from [Southern Africa] Customs Union (SACU) proceeds, neglecting the more than 80 percent unemployed, over 80,000 of HIV / AIDS orphans, 70 percent of the population that receives handouts, and the poverty stricken people of Swaziland. Mswati is a destructive warmonger who has no vision for the country other than his own and family.

Finally the Swaziland Solidarity Network congratulates the SACP on a successful Special National Congress outcome which was attended by SSN including Pudemo leadership.

SSN delegates were struck by a characteristically deep concern by SACP members during the discussions, about the plight of the region, how social and economic policies affected continental citizenship, about scores of victims of xenophobia, the plight of the migrants and our collective political future.

At the heart of our assessment of this congress at the beginning of 2010, is the basic question raised at this congress, the need for political mobilisation, on the policies of our governments regarding the state of the entire peoples of the SADC, Africa including Swaziland.

We will continue to strengthen our relationship with the alliance and as part of our overall strategy, locate the ANC-led alliance at the center of our struggle for solidarity around the following two main principles:

- completing aborted National Democratic Revolutions and

- ensuring the needs and interests of the poorest of the poor sections of our people are dominant, in the state, in society and internationally

We congratulate the leadership and members of SSN and all supporters of democracy in Swaziland and wish them a happy new year.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] South Africa Chapter.

PROTESTS FOR SWAZI DEMOCRAT TRIAL

The following is a statement issued by the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), one of the political parties banned in Swaziland, about the pending trail of its president Mario Masuku on a terrorism charge.

PUDEMO STATEMENT ON THE MARIO MASUKU TRIAL

Released 14 September 2009

The Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) wishes to alert the both the Swazi public and the international community on the coming trial of its President Mario T Masuku. Masuku was arrested in November 2008 less than 24 hours after the oppressive and undemocratic Swazi royal regime had ‘banned’ the organization describing it as terrorists. This is all because PUDEMO has over the years dared to challenge the regime to stop its dictatorial tendencies, human rights abuse, corruption, nepotism, harassment, lack of democracy, etc. For this, PUDEMO has been viewed by the regime as its greatest threat to its continued oppression of the poor masses of Swaziland.

On the 21 September, the trial shall commence at the High Court of Swaziland in Mbabane at 9am. The resilient members of PUDEMO from all corners of the country shall again descend on Mbabane in support of their President. They will be joined by the democracy seeking people of Swaziland under the banner of the Swaziland United Democratic Front. This is because Comrade Masuku’s detention has become a symbol of oppression for the people of Swaziland!

This will be a contest between freedom and oppression; justice and injustice. The defence team comprises fearless lawyers for human rights, who have over the years stood by and defended the oppressed people of Swaziland without fear of this brutal regime. There is Thulani Maseko (is himself out on bail on charges of sedition), Leo Gama, Mandla Mkhwanazi and Paul Shilubane. The regime has unashamedly run to South Africa, a democratic country to seek legal assistance on its fight to sustain its injustices and oppression on the people of Swaziland. Whoever shall take this offer must be condemned and discouraged, for the rewards are no different from blood money!

Meanwhile a prayer service is being planned in Swaziland for the coming weekend in preparation for the commencement of the trial. We are also encouraged by the planned protest action by COSATU for the release of Mario Masuku on 25 September. A lot of activities internationally are currently taking place where people are calling for the release of Comrade Mario and the introduction of multiparty democracy in Swaziland. The Swaziland Solidarity Network is one of such.

Comrade Mario is fine and ready for the road ahead. The family also remains strong and fully behind him for they know that this is not only about them, but the fight for the oppressed masses of Swaziland.

However, as usual, the state will be unleashing its brutal security apparatus to intimidate, harass and even assault people who will be attending the trial. But we shall remain resolute in support of our President and the fight for democracy in Swaziland.

National Head of Publicity Zakhele Mabuza

Deputy President Sikhumbuzo Phakathi

Secretary General Sphasha Dlamini

SWAZILAND SINKING BACKWARDS

Swaziland is slowly sinking backwards towards the era of the lack of respect for the rule of law, democracy and human rights.

And there is very little political will on the part of the Swazi state to listen to and engage political dissenters.

Meanwhile, on the economic front, Swaziland continues to decline yet government’s spending on unnecessary and non-priority areas remains unchecked.

These are just some of the conclusions in yet another report on Swaziland’s appalling record of human rights, civil liberties and political mismanagement.

The report just released by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) studied Swaziland for the period May – July this year (2009) and concluded that ‘events of the last three months reflect a continued state of emergency in Swaziland as the State has scaled-up its defiance of the rule of law and effected numerous acts of intimidation and violations of human rights. Of notable importance are the arrest of human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko in June and the further arrests of political activists, Mpandlana Shongwe and Norman Xaba of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) in July.’

The 11,500-word report continues, ‘on the surface the sporadic arrests by the State may seem to the larger public – as the media is made to report – aimed at curbing or discouraging acts of terrorism. In retrospect, these have demonstrated a systematic targeting of political dissenters in line with the infamous King’s mandate to government and Parliament when installing the current Prime Minister [Barnabas Dlamini] last year.

‘This view has been cemented by the State’s capricious harassment and raids visited upon members of PUDEMO, the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) and the Foundation for Economic Justice’s offices, a non-government organization that has amongst other things supported the Swaziland Ex-Miners Association in the issue of Free Primary Education (FPE).

‘The arrest of Thulani Maseko came across as a direct onslaught on Human Rights, particularly in view of the sterling role he has played in putting to the test the constitution of the country in the courts. It should be recalled that Maseko is also representing the President of PUDEMO, Mario Masuku, in his case where he is incarcerated for contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act.’

The report is just one of many recently to highlight the decline of human rights and civil liberties in Swaziland.

To read the full OSISA report click here.

SWAZI DEMOCRAT TO GO ON TRIAL

The trial of Swazi democrat Mario Masuku, accused of supporting terrorist acts, will go for trail next month (September 2009).

Masuku, who is president of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), has been remanded in jail since November 2008, charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and the Sedition Act.

Mumcy Dlamini, the Swaziland Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said at least six witnesses were ready to testify against Masuku who is alleged ‘to have unlawfully and knowingly given support to the commission of terrorist acts by uttering the words to the effect that “they will continue with the bombing of vital installations and structures of the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland”’.

According to a report in the Times Sunday yesterday (30 August 2009), he is said to have uttered words to the effect that Musa ‘MJ’ Dlamini and Jack Governder, who died in a bomb blast at Lozitha overhead bridge, were heroes and they died while PUDEMO needed them the most. He is accused of making these utterances on 27 September, 2008 at KaLanga in the Lubombo region at the funeral of Dlamini.

The trial is expected to start on 21 September 2009 and it could take up to ten days to complete.

Masuku is represented by lawyer Thulani Maseko, who is also facing terrorism charges in his own capacity.

Previously, the DPP announced that advocates would come from South Africa to conduct the trial on behalf of the Swazi state.