EmaSwati target E1.4m for affected families
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MBABANE – About E54 000 has been raised by emaSwati in diaspora to help families of those who were injured during the recent protests in the country.
The target is to raise at least E1.4 million according to an initiative that has been started by emaSwati Diaspora and others residing locally.
The fundraiser was organised by emaSwati Diaspora and it is a 100 per cent volunteer- driven effort, with no overhead costs and all of the support will directly benefit the people of Eswatini directly engaged in democratic reforms efforts as revealed through the fundraiser’s Twitter page. A Diaspora, according to
dictionary. com, is a large group of people with a similar heritage or homeland who have since moved out to places all over the world.
The fundraising initiative is for helping cover the medical costs of people injured in the struggle, some of which require costly medical procedures due to severe injury allegedly at the hands of security forces and paying for legal representation for the hundreds of civilians who have been detained for peacefully protesting, according to information sourced from the fundraiser’s page on Twitter.
BRUTALITY
“The people of Eswatini are fighting for democracy - and we are facing military/ police brutality for it. We need your help. We need your help in providing direly needed aid for families that have lost breadwinners to this struggle and sustaining operational costs of driving democratic reform,” reads part of the information. A note on privacy was shared which states that contributions ( amount and source) will not be publicised or stored for security reasons and each donor will be able to create a six digit reference code ( letters and numbers) in order to review the public account of donations and trace their contribution.
According to the information sourced from the page, in barely two weeks after protests began, over 40 emaSwati allegedly lost their lives at the hands of government sanctioned military forces. Over 250 have allegedly been injured and many currently fighting for their lives in the underfunded hospitals of Eswatini. “The crime is participating in peaceful protests protected by the Eswatini Constitution, and international human rights law, to which the Kingdom of Eswatini is a State party. Already emaciated over the years by crippling poverty, and devastated by several health and other crises, including HIV/ AIDS and COVID- 19, the people of Eswatini are thoroughly depleted,” reads part of the information.
SUPPRESSION
According to an online petition that is also pushed by emaSwati Diaspora, on June 19, 2021, thousands of youth from all over the country staged a peaceful protest calling for an end to State sanctioned violence in the form of police brutality and military suppression as well as pro- democracy political reforms, including the right to form political parties, and elect their head of government representatives.
As part of the reforms, the youth, together with elected Members of Parliament ( MPs), in Mduduzi ‘ Gawuzela’ Simelane of Siphofaneni, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea and Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi demanded a democratically elected prime minister with executive authority, and Members of Parliament to represent them.
The three have since been joined by Nkilongo MP Timothy Myeni and Mtsambama MP Simosakhe Shongwe.
“Instead, they were met with State sanctioned violence in the form of police brutality and military suppression - an all too familiar government response to calls for an end to Eswatini’s autocratic governance. Since June 19, these protests have spread across Eswatini to the industrial areas of Matsapha and as far as the Maloma mines in rural Lubulini,” reads the petition in part.
EmaSwati in the Kingdom, emaSwati in the Diaspora, anti- oppression movements, and civil society groups, call on the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini to:
● Immediately cease the use of violence against peaceful pro- democracy protests.
● Decommission and disarm security forces accused of injuring/ killing protesters including 140 injured civilians and an estimated over 40 emaSwati murdered.
● Reinstate telecommunications and internet services in the kingdom including Eswatini MTN and Eswatini Mobile.
● Engage in democratic negotiations and discussions with pro- democracy groups including pro- democracy MPs, the Political Parties Assembly and the Swaziland National Students Union.
● Launch an independent investigation into allegations of corruption, embezzlement and other economic crimes against senior members of the Government of Eswatini.
● Ensure that the government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Southern Africa Development Community, the African Union, and the United Nations implement, monitor and respect the human rights of those engaged in pro- democracyprotests.
“EmaSwati in the Kingdom, emaSwati in the Diaspora, anti- oppression movements and civil society groups condemn the State sanctioned violence with which the Government of Eswatini is meeting legitimate forms of protests by its people, many young people among them, and their calls for democratic reforms in the country.
We stand in solidarity with those engaged in peaceful protests and demonstrations for a democratic and representative Kingdom,” reads the petition in part.