SWAZI ELITE THREATENS JOURNALISTS

Journalists working for the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, are being harassed by traditional authorities after reporting that the son of one of the king’s advisors had been arrested on assault and damage charges.

The story involves Bishop Nash Shongwe who is a member of King Mswati’s advisory committee liqoqo, also known as the Swazi National Council (SNC).

The Observer reported that the bishop’s son Sikhumbuzo had been arrested following an incident at a club in which he allegedly attacked patrons’ cars with a bush-knife and assaulted some of them. He is charged with two counts of malicious damage to property and assault.

Sikhumbuzo is also awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting Observer news editor Ackel Zwane, in December 2008.

In January 2009 the Swazi News reported that Sikhumbuzo had been arrested for assaulting his wife with a bottle causing a wound that needed seven stitches.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Swaziland Chapter reports that following the publication of the most recent story, ‘One journalist who declined to be identified for fear of victimization’ told MISA that they have received ‘disturbing’ calls from traditional authorities ‘who have warned them against the continued publication of stories about the bishop’s son’.

MISA says it is thought the bishop might have complained to the traditional authorities against the newspaper, which is owned by the King, to influence the censoring of the newspaper.



‘Soon after the stories, we received calls, mostly from members of the SNC, warning us against further publishing of the stories about the bishop’s son,’ MISA reports the journalist saying.



‘We are not happy. The traditional authorities have no right to censor us on stories which are of public interest. Moreover, this man has proved to be a public nuisance and does not deserve to be protected,’ he added.

SWAZILAND’S FIRST PEOPLE’S DIALOGUE

The following is a media release detailing the ‘People’s Dialogue’ that takes place this Saturday (18 July 2009) in Manzini, Swaziland.

OPERATION SIDLA INHLOKO – THE PEOPLE’S DIALOGUE

SWAZIS CONGREGATE

TO CELEBRATE MADIBA’S BIRTHDAY & SHAPE THEIR DESTIY

Manzini, July 15, 2009-

On July 18^th – the Birthday of Nelson Mandela, Swaziland Civil Society will hold its first People’s Dialogue at John Bosco Hall in Manzini starting at 8:30am. The Churches, the Unions and the Swaziland Coalition are going to get the people talking. More importantly it will also get the people listening.

The day will start with a message sent to former South African President Nelson Mandela, affectionately known to millions around the world as Comrade Madiba on the occasion of his 91^st birthday.

The July 18^th event has been dubbed Sidla Inhloko in recognition of the widespread Swazi custom of eating cow-heads in the process of discussing important issues in the community. Traditionally this is reserved for the older men, but on the 18^th women, young people and everyone else are going to be welcomed at the feast as equals.

The main organizers of the event, the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organizations, Organised Labour, The Council of Swaziland Churches and others have made it clear that this is NOT an anti-government protest, but a way to help the leadership of civil society to stay in touch with the needs and opinions of its membership at the grass roots. Its purpose is to collect and collate.

Jan Sithole, the spokesperson for the Sidla Inhloko gathering stresses this point:

“We want Swazis from all walks of life to come together and talk about issues that affect the vast majority of the people in this country. Everyone wants to live a healthy life. All parents want to educate their children. All the youth want access to more secure futures with good jobs earning decent pay. Women and men of goodwill want to stop the carnage of violence and acts of rape against women and girl children. Corruption is a scourge that affects all of us. These are cross cutting issues that should concern all of us, irrespective of our political beliefs and affiliations. That is why we urge EVERYONE to show up. We want everyone to be part of history, we want everybody to help shape their destiny.”

BEAT UP WORKERS, SAYS BENNETT

Swazi businessman and anti-democrat Walter Bennett says workers should be beaten up for organising their own meeting to discuss the needs of the people of Swaziland.

Bennett, a former Swazi Senator and full time apologist for King Mswati III, the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa, says it is a pity that beating up a person is against the law.

According to the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, and a newspaper that regularly offers Bennett space to air his (often unconsidered) views, Bennett is annoyed that trade unions, churches and civil society groups, have decided to boycott a ‘smart partnership’ national dialogue called to discuss some of the issues affecting present day Swaziland and which King Mswati and Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed prime minister, are expected to attend.

The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions has decided to hold its own meeting to be attended by workers and supporters of a free civil society because the government-initiated dialogues have in the past failed to bear fruits.

Bennett, who I reported last month believes that the Swazi Government should stop providing medical support to HIV AIDS patients because others were more deserving. He said that people with HIV and AIDS had ‘got this disease out of their evil habits and out of choice’. he said. He also wanted to close down places of entertainment because they led to the spread of HIV.

Bennett is also openly racist and has regularly verbally attacked Asians.

Despite Bennett’s open (and illegal) incitement to violence, he has not been arrested or even questioned by Swazi police.

Meanwhile, people of good will (and good sense) are ignoring Bennett’s threats and plans are in place for the first ‘People’s Dialogue’ to take place this coming Saturday (18 July 2009) at John Bosco Hall, Manzini, starting at 8:30am. More on this later.

SOLIDARITY FOR A FREE SWAZILAND

Support for democracy in Swaziland is growing in neighbouring South Africa.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), one of the main groups organising for freedom in the kingdom, reports that it is building new groups as part of a ‘political strategy to ensure the presence in every community and each household, of activists that understands the plight of Swazis under the current oppressive King Mswati III’.

SSN reports that branches have recently been launched in Midrand, Johannesburg and at the Johannesburg Art Gallery.

SSN says another ten branches will be launched including Central Johannesburg, Orange Farm, Braamfontein, Yeoville, Newclare and Rossetenville.

In Soweto groups will be launched in Diepkloof, Naledi, Mndeni and Mapetla. The North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo are amongst provinces that will launch structures of SSN within the next two weeks.

SSN says these new solidarity groups have been able to attract community activists, academics, researchers and politicians in their ranks and also initiate ‘raging debates about lack of democracy and the violation of human rights’.

The SSN National Congress to be held in September 2009 will deliberate on a strategy to provide Swazi’s with solidarity support. Congress is also expected to devise a strategy to counter international investments during the 2010 world cup that ‘will benefit the King and his cronies’.

DISSIDENT JOURNALIST WRITES ON

One of Swaziland’s most outspoken pro-democracy journalists says he is in fear of arrest for his dissident views.

Vusi Sibisi joins former Swazi Government minister Mfomfo Nkhambule in fearing that he is a target because he speaks out against the state.

Already Mario Masuku, president of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) and human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko have been arrested. Masuku has been in jail since November 2008 awaiting trial on a sedition charge.

Sibisi says he was forced to stop writing his weekly column in the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, because of his fear of arrest.

Sibisi said he was tipped off by sources within Swaziland’s ‘security establishment’ that an order had been made for his ‘arrest and detention’.

This order was made two months ago at about the same time as Nkhambule was targeted.

Sibisi is once again writing for the Times. He said the detention of Maseko ‘for expressing a harmless opinion just goes to show how the leadership is gradually and systematically steering this country into a totalitarian state’.

He goes on, ‘No one should be surprised, for example, if shadowy characters follow them wherever they go or have their cellphones and or telephones bugged because we are now in the era of Orwellian Big Brother.

‘To think critically of the state and the going-ons in this country has suddenly become a crime. To express dissenting voices to the obtaining autocratic leadership has also become a crime in this country.’

He adds, ‘This country is systematically ushering in a culture of subservience, praise singing and grovelling by instilling a culture of fear.’

He says, ‘I am not certain if indeed the order to arrest me will be carried out on publication of this column, but what I am certain of is that it will take more than threats to silence me from thinking independently and publishing my opinions on issues that I believe I have an inalienable right to freely talk about, discuss, debate and comment on for as long as there are platforms, such as this, to do so.’

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