When politics affect the right to employment
,7 is necessary to ensure that the reTuirement to combat terrorism is not used to clamp down on freedom of expression, legitimate dissent, freedom of association and so on´ 0DU\ 5RELQVRQ
To compliment the freedom to exercise the freewill bestowed upon us by the living God, mankind - through global, human rights organisations and, numerous governments - crafted universal conventions, which protect the rights and freedoms of citi]ens in global countries.
These international conventions or treaties are agreements between different countries that are legally binding - without exception - to all signatory States. The conventions cover numerous, different areas, including trade, crime and most importantly, human rights.
It is common practice for some countries to rush to sign these conventions without first putting their houses in order in as far as the fixing of their lack of adherence to democratic principles of good governance issues is concerned. 0any of these countries have deplorable human rights records, and are somewhat or largely undemocratic in nature.
2ur country, the .ingdom of (swatini, falls under such countries. :e cannot live any longer the perpetual lie we convey to the outside world that we practice true tenets of democracy.
In last week’s article, including numerous other articles, I had more often than not, wrote previously, I pleaded with our government to kindly do its best to subscribe and adhere to true concepts of democratic principles.
I pointed out this because I could foresee that the net against our execrable and despicable human rights record will eventually close around us, catching us in its spider web. I am not the only one, though, who has been urging our government to please, consider doing this.
3lease, do not get me wrong here. I, like many other peace loving people out there, have no beef against our government or its officials.
1o They are human like all of us, and are not perfect, but prone to erring. :hat I abhor is the injustices, brutality, and the violation of basic, fundamental human rights perpetrated against the people.
:e were created eTually. 0ost importantly, we were created in the µexpress image and likeness of the 2ne, true God.’ 'enying other God-created people their fundamental human rights is a direct affront to God’s divine right to +is ownership of us as the human race.
1one of us - be it government, myself or any other person - has the right to enforce on other people, even doing so brutally and violently, respect for himself, or on behalf of any authority, committing such against not only our country’s constitutionally enshrined rights, but even against universally declared human rights charters. 5espect is earned - not enforced. It is also of utmost importance for all of us to understand that we have one owner - the omnipotent, immutable, /iving God.
$s much as we are subject to humanly crafted laws, but, we are all going to be judged according to how we conducted ourselves in relation to the constitution of +eaven - the Ten &ommandments.
1ow, it is sad to note that our government has persistently continued to turn a deaf ear on fixing it’s deplorable, human rights record.
:ell, and good. %ut, I am one person who does not want to glee afterwards, and say ³:e told you so´ when we are finally called upon to account for our misdemeanours.
The international spotlight is ominously, and, incessantly directed at our country, lately. Things are looking very bleak. If truth be told, there is no longer any space to play hide, and seek.
3lease, recall the ominous, intended tabling of a resolution by 8nited States of $merica 8S$ upper chamber lawmakers, which I commented on in last week’s article...
That said, it was with a great sense of shock when I read an article, headlined, µ3olitical party member dismissed from elections job’, in last week’s (swatini Times.
ARTICLE
In a nutshell, the article narrated about how one, young man .haya Gina, lost his job of being registration clerk after he was seen wearing a local, political party’s T-shirt, a beret, and, carrying the political party’s flag during the recent, :orker’s 'ay &elebrations at 0ayaluka Stadium.
.haya, who is years old, is alleged to have said he had applied for the elections job, and was called last month to the .a0atsenjwa Umphakatsi to fill in forms with others, as confirmation of being hired for the national general elections.
The long and short of it is that, the helpless, young man fell victim of the ongoing persecution of pro-democracy proponents in the country by those vehemently opposed to calls for democratic changes.
.haya confirmed to be a member of the political party in Tuestion in an interview, and indicated that he applied for the elections job because he was currently unemployed. +e stated that during the training, they were advised not to µassociate themselves with political parties, as such was against the (%& protocols and principles of conduct.’
+e mentioned that he did not think that wearing regalia belonging to a political party would be a serious offence and eventually cost him his job.
There you have it. )ired at the drop of a hat, merely for associating himself with the ruling government’s sworn µenemies’ - its own, taxpaying citi]ens.
It is without any shadow of doubt that as a country, we are currently experiencing serious, deadly political divisions between those, on the one hand, who are proponents of change, and, on the other hand, those who are opposed to change.
The division had long been simmering just under the surface for Tuite some time. It reached its deadly climax during that fateful month of -une , when the simmering tension finally exploded, culminating in unprecedented, political unrest.
The unrest, unfortunately, led to scores of protesters brutally losing their lives, and others were gruesomely injured, while some were maimed for life.
This was after a brutal crackdown on protesters allegedly perpetrated by the country’s security forces.
Some police officers were brutally killed by faceless people in the aftermath of the unrests, with allegations implicating or pointing an accusing finger at a faceless solidarity network of insurgents who were intent on brutally forcing government to accede to calls for change.
3roperties worth thousands of (malangeni belonging to both pro, and anti-democracy proponents, were torched, and ra]ed to the ground, while houses belonging to some leaders of political parties were bombed. 2ther political leaders escaped death by the skin of their teeth when their places of abode were shot at in a fuselage of bullets.
CITIZENS
Sadly, one of the country’s leading human rights activists Thulani 5udolph 0aseko was later assassinated in front of his wife and children at his place of residence at ka/uhleko, %hunya, in -anuary this year. )ear, to this day, continues to rule supreme, haunting many citi]ens.
In spite of local, as well as regional calls for dialogue, government remains resolute that the dialogue will take place in its own time. :hen" That is the million 'ollar Tuestion. In the meantime, the fractious relations between government, and pro-democracy proponents continues to widen - so does the hatred between the two gladiators.
%ack to the young man’s unfortunate rejection of a job offer.
If it is true that his job offer was withdrawn on the grounds of him allegedly having been seen wearing a political party’s T-shirt, and, carrying it’s flag, such actions proving that, µhe was a comrade’...then, /ord help us
+as the universally enshrined right of freedom of choice, expression, assembly and association now become a crime or a cardinal sin in the country" Should people be refused job offers in government departments or in the private sector purely for the reason or reasons that they are believed to be µcomrades’, political activists or for freely - not violently - expressing their political opinions, associating themselves with political organisations of their choice, outside working hours"
I am lost, and baffled by the fact that a young man, who was desperately seeking for employment, in a country where youth unemployment is very high, had to have his job offer withdrawn as a result of him being a political party member. Is this moral, ethical or whatever"
I looked up a chapter in our socalled, supreme law of the country, our &onstitution, which has to do with freedom of expression, assembly and association. In &hapter , under ³3rotection of freedom of assembly association´, Section , says $ person has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. $ person shall not except with the free consent of that person be hindered in the enjoyment of the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, that is to say, the right to assemble peacefully and associate freely with other persons for the promotion or protection of the interests of that person. 8nder freedom of expression, which I believe, is interlinked with the above, the &onstitution says
3rotection of freedom of expression
$ person has a right of freedom of expression and opinion. $ person shall not except with the free consent of that person be hindered in the enjoyment of the freedom of expression, which includes the freedom of the press and other media, that is to say - freedom to hold opinions without interference freedom to receive ideas and information without interference freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference whether the communication be to the public generally or to any person or class of persons and freedom from interference with the correspondence of that person. This is an opinion column, and I believe I have the &onstitutional right to exercise my right to freedom of expression. I sincerely believe the treatment of this young man is simply immoral, and, unorthodox, and, grossly unconventional. There are many young people out there who are desperately looking for jobs. 0any have been educated through government scholarships. &urrent legislation compels those who benefited from these scholarships to repay partly the costs of being educated.
If then, they will be denied employment opportunities merely for being associated with political parties, then, /ord help us (ven though I am cognisant of the glaring fact that once our government makes up its mind, no amount of persuasion or coercion can change it, but, in humbleness, I plead with it to reconsider its stance over this young man’s case, and, any other, would-be victims. In the words of the late, South $frican president, 1elson 0andela ³If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner´. &an we discard enmity, maSwati akitsi" 3eace Shalom
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