STUDENTS DEFY SWAZI POLICE

The following message was sent to member of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) Facebook site on Monday (24 January 2011). It concerns harassment by the Swazi Police of activists in the student movement.

Brave Swazi Students defy Royal Swaziland Police

Comrades and friends of the Swaziland Revolution are informed that the students of Swaziland now live in fear of their lives as the Royal regime of Swaziland keeps harassing the students of Swaziland, especially those affiliated under the Swaziland National Union of Students [SNUS].

It all began on the day the youth of Swaziland, led by the Swaziland Youth Congress [SWAYOCO], were on their way to attend the World Festival for Youth and Students,held in South Africa. The bus in which they were travelling in had to be stopped a number of times by the Royal Police of Swaziland and subjected to arbitrary search whilst other vehicles were allowed to pass without any hassle. This happened on the 12th of December, 2010. When they reached the Ngwenya [Oshoek] border post the Royal Swaziland Police recorded their names on a separate sheet of paper, an act which is never done normally.



Problems continued when they came back from the festival. After some rigorous search on the students by the Royal Police two students were placed aside by the police. These are Comrade Thembela Ngcamphala and the Deputy Secretary General [DSG] of SNUS, Comrade Samkelo Ginindza. According to Ngcamphala ‘upon our arrival at Ngwenya (Oshoek) border post on the morning of Wednesday 22 December, 2010, the Swazi delegation was subjected to rigorous search by the Royal Swaziland Police for any material they felt was not allowed into Swaziland. I was in possession of the daily publications of the World Festival for Youth and Students. I also had the Festival and the World Declaration documents in my possession. I was taken aside together with Comrade Samkelo and we were led to a Royal police officer known as ‘Dube’ where they confiscated our documents on democracy and took our passport numbers and phone numbers’. They were both informed that police needed time to go over the documents and that they would be called later. On Tuesday 28 December 2010 the two Comrades received a call from Dube, the police officer, ordering them that they appear at the Police Regional Head Quarters in Mbabane on Thursday 30 December 2010.



Owing to the revolutionary spirit that these two comrades have, they, after consultation with leaders of SWAYOCO, decided to defy the Royal Police. This dealt an embarrassing blow to the Royal police since they had ordered these two Comrades to leave holidays and report to them. This prompted the same Dube to call the two Comrades on January 3, 2011, and threaten them with death for defying the police. ‘Dube posed some threats stating that they were going to deal with me, even if I can switch off my phone for good and that they had got all the gadgets to do that. He then ordered me to call them, but I continued to defy them. I am not answerable to the police’, stressed Comrade Thembela. The Royal police continue intimidating the two students up to this far.



It is not the first time that police have harassed progressive students of Swaziland. Pius Vilakati, a former President of the Student Movement in Swaziland, is currently in exile. He escaped Swaziland following similar threats by the Royal Swaziland Police, after he was said to have made ‘terrorist statements’ during the memorial service of Sipho Jele who himself had been murdered by the Royal police.

Comrade Thembela is one of the student leaders that were abducted together with Comrade Pius on the 10th of February, 2010. Comrade Thembela was later dumped about 60 kilometres East of Swaziland after undergoing some torture in the forests there that same day.



To this day the two Comrades receive threats from the Royal police and yet they remain defiant. SNUS calls for the continued support of the two Comrades from all democracy-loving people in Swaziland and around the world.

SWAZI SOLIDARITY PICKET RESUMES

The Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] is to restart its regular protest picket outside the Swaziland Consulate in Braampark, Braamfontein, Johannesburg , South Africa.

The pickets take place on the first and last Fridays of each month. The first of the new series is on 21 January 2011. The picket starts at 13.00 hrs.

In a statement the SSN said the pickets were in support of the incarcerated terrorism suspects Swaziland Youth Conrgress (SWAYOCO) President Bheki Dlamini, Zonke Dlamini and Amos Mbendzi.

SSN said, ‘We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all three comrades because they are political prisoners who cannot have a free and fair trial under the prevailing system of governance in Swaziland.

‘These pickets are a continuation of those demanding the release of Amos Mbendzi and Mario Masuku from 2008 to 2009. To this day we insist that the release of Masuku was a result of political pressure rather than a mere judicial one.’

HUNDREDS MARCH IN SWAZI PROTEST

These four reports on the protest march in Mbabane, Swaziland, yesterday (17 November 2010) are from the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.

SOURCE

18 November 2010

Demonstration turns political

MBABANE – The one-day ‘encouragement demonstration’ staged by organised labour unions yesterday in the capital city was turned into a political rally.

The placards carried by the more than 500 workers who took part in the event did not make mention of any of the issues that resulted in the protest action.

The list of issues over which the workers were demonstrating include the ‘removal of the SEC E55 monthly charges’, ‘withdrawal of Circular No 1 of 2010’, ‘abolishment of Scholarship Policy’, ‘shortage of drugs at health centres’, ‘removal of Public Service Bill’, ‘Removal of new Taxation roadmap’, ‘removal of labour brokers’, ‘introduction of transport and housing allowances for all workers’, and ‘representation of workers on the Tender Board’.

However, none of these issues were reflected on the placards. Instead, demonstrators displayed messages critical of Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini and his Cabinet, as well as the Kingdom’s system of governance.

Some of the posters carried by the workers read: ‘Viva Swaziland United Democratic Front’, ‘Tinkhundla uncaring, oppressive, misgoverns’, ‘workers unite against Tinkhundla’, ‘the world demands democracy in Swaziland now’, ‘Swazis march...cry democracy’, ‘Barnabas spend resources on the poor not politicians’ and ‘Majozi retrench politicians not the poor workers’.

During the demonstration, some of the union leaders were heard shouting ‘viva SWAYOCO’ and ‘viva PUDEMO’, in reference to two of the country’s banned political entities.

Previously, the country has witnessed political activists being arrested for shouting ‘viva’ for the proscribed entities but, yesterday, the police simply listened and did nothing.

Ironically, the demonstration was attended by Wandile Dludlu, former President of the proscribed Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO).

Also at the protest action was Professor Dlamini, a former leader of the banned SWAYOCO as well as a member of the People’s United Democratic Movement. Political activist Siphasha Dlamini, who is a school principal, was also part of the demonstration.

Dludlu, who not so long ago was removed by the police from a similar workers’ demonstration, joined yesterday’s protest action about two hours after it had commenced.

Wearing a red and black Nike sports jacket, a dark green cap, jeans and grasshopper shoes, Dludlu was not given a hard time by the police, numbering close to a hundred.

Dlamini, on the other hand, whose pinstriped blazer and leather cap stood out from the crowd, joined in the latter stages of the march until the end, when he was seen shaking hands with the union leaders, before leaving.

President of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers, Sibongile Mazibuko, made a speech and called upon the country’s authorities to allow the existence of political parties.

"It’s not that we’re against the King. Even in Lesotho and the United Kingdom there are political parties but the monarch is also there. Wake up Swazis. Let’s get out of this darkness," the first SNAT female president said.

She said, as workers, they cannot avoid political issues when there are actions taken by politicians that touch directly on their welfare.

Rain fails to discourage workers

MBABANE – Yesterday’s incessant downpour failed to dampen the spirits of over 500 workers who took part in the ‘encouragement demonstration’.

Shortly before 10am there were fears that the turnout would be poor because of the rainfall but that was not to be, as buses coming from as far as Siteki and Nhlangano began arriving with hundreds of workers.

With some clad in rain coats, jackets, and boots and carrying umbrellas, the workers assembled near Coronation Park, where they displayed high spirits through song and dance before taking to the streets after an address by their leadership.

For close to four hours, the workers marched around the city in complete disregard of the rain, which gained momentum along with the demonstration.

Leaders of the demonstration could not help but praise the workers for having braved the wet and cold weather to be part of the protest action.

"I would like to thank you for being here despite the wet weather. Taking to the streets is our way of expressing discontent at the way our government is operating," said Muzi Mhlanga, the Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers.

SNAT President Sibongile Mazibuko also said: "We’re not here for nothing. We’re not facing the rain for sweet. We shall fight on."

However, there were those workers who decided not to face the rain throughout and opted to take cover under the verandas and shelters available along the demonstration route.

Teachers show up in numbers

MBABANE – There was a huge presence of civil servants during yesterday’s demonstration in the capital city.

Teachers, with the Swaziland National Association of Teachers President, Sibongile Mazibuko, and Secretary General Muzi Mhlanga, appeared to form a majority of the public servants who took part in the protest action.

Mhlanga had announced the availability of transport for teachers wishing to be part of the demonstration.

Other civil servants present were nurses, as well as a couple of employees from the Central Transport Administration.

Workers out of order -Minister Magobetana

MBABANE – Minister of Labour and Social Security Patrick Magobetana Mamba said it would be very unfortunate if workers touched on political issues during yesterday’s demonstration.

The minister said even though he was not privy to what the workers had spoken about during the demonstration, he was however well aware of what the protest action was all about.

"All I know is that the workers were demonstrating over socio-economic issues. If they spoke political issues then they were out of order. It’s a pity," Mamba said.

The minister then admonished the workers: "I would like to warn them strongly if they are touching on political issues."

He then said he hoped they would address some of the issues that were of concern to the workers through the regular meetings of the Labour Advisory Body

SWAZI P.M. DLAMINI LOSES RESPECT

Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister can no longer command the respect of the international community.

His latest pronouncement is that dissidents and foreigners who speak out against the regime in Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, should be whipped on the soles of their feet.

Dlamini was reacting to the Global Day of Action for Swaziland democracy which saw protest marches in Mbabane and Manzini. Although police and security forces harassed and intimidated the pro-democracy campaigners the message got out to the world loud and clear: Swaziland has abandoned any pretence that it is a democracy and respecter of human rights.

Dlamini’s call for torture is the best that he can do in response to calls for freedom. While the world wants statesmanship, he responds like a herd boy - the only way he can get people to do what he wants is to whip them. He has shown himself to be incapable of discussion and dialogue and now it is clear there is no point in trying to engage with him. The international community will see that Swaziland’s prime minister is no more than a thug who lacks the intellectual capacity to take Swaziland forward. King Mswati keeps saying he wants his kingdom to become part of the ‘first world’. That is an impossible task with Dlamini as head of government.

Already Dlamini, who has a well documented history as an enemy of freedom, has been condemned for his latest disregard for the rule of law.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) said Dlamini has a mandate from King Mswati ‘to strangle all opposition from within or outside the country’.

SSN said in a statement, ‘It takes an extremely sadistic person to suggest such a painful form of torture for innocent human beings who happen to side with their fellow human beings on the other side of the fence.’

Dlamini’s call for torture has had the opposite effect to the one he presumably intended. Instead of frightening off democracy activists, he has strengthened their resolve.

The Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), a banned entity in the kingdom, said in a statement, ‘no amount of harassment, torture and killing will stop us and the international community from calling for democracy and sustainable peace in Swaziland’.

SWAYOCO went on to say its members had in the past ‘been tortured, maimed and murdered by his corrupt government.

‘These threats are therefore nothing else but a reaffirmation of his government’s stand in dealing with the democratic forces in the country.’

SWAYOCO went on, ‘while he can have his way in torturing and murdering innocent Swazis, the same cannot be done to our international friends, particularly those from South Africa’.

SWAYOCO has asked the South African government to ‘denounce the statements of the Prime Minister’ because they are a direct threat to South African citizens.