SADC coming to address security challenges
µµ As acknowledgement by SADC leaders in the communiqué, and based on His Majesty King Mswati III’s presentation to the bloc’s meeting, Alpheous Nxumalo, said the challenge that Eswatini faced was a security one.
MBABANE – Is it a secu rity issue" Article 13 of the Communiqup of the 42nd Ordinary Summit of SA'C heads of State and govern ment refers to the Eswatini situation as a security challenge.
'uring the summit held in the 'em ocratic 5epublic of Congo ('5C on August 17, 2022, the *overnment of the Eswatini presented a brief report not on a political issue but a security situation.
SA'C is said to have resolved on the basis of the report.
Security issues fall under Southern African 'evelopment Community’s Organ on Politics, 'efence and Se curity.
As a result of the report, the chair person of the organ was mandated by the SA'C heads of State to convene an e[traordinary summit of the Or gan 7roiNa plus Eswatini at a date to be determined.
It is stated in the communiqup that the e[traordinary summit is aimed at finding a peaceful and lasting solu tion to the security challenges facing the country.
SECURITY CHALLENGE
It has not been established when the Organ will come to Eswatini to address the security challenge. +is MaMesty the .ing goes to seclusion around 1ovember. +e may be free to attend to dialogue issues in March 2023.
7his is the time when the country will be maNing preparations for the general election to set up a new Par liament and Cabinet. It effectively means the country is left with Octo ber to welcome SA'C to the country to talN about the security challenges as e[plicitly stated in the commu niqup.
5eads Article 13 ³Summit wel comed a brief report presented by the *overnment of the .ingdom of Eswatini, regarding the security situ ation in the country, and while con demning the violence, it mandated the chairperson of the Organ to con vene an e[traordinary summit of the Organ 7roiNa plus Eswatini, at a date to be determined, aimed at finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the security challenges facing the coun try.´
As acNnowledgement by SA'C leaders in the communiqup and based on +is MaMesty .ing Mswati III’s presentation to the bloc’s meeting, Alpheous 1[umalo, the *overnment SpoNesperson, said the challenge that Eswatini faced was a security one.
ENVISAGED
For all practical reasons, 1[umalo said the security challenge has fore stalled the envisaged national dia logue, which was to serve as a forum to help find solutions to any political challenges which emaSwati could have presented during the dialogue.
+e said the nation witnessed an emerging of a violent insurgency, which used activities of arsonists, intimidation, coercion, threats and random Nilling of the State’s security officers in their quest to impose their respective will upon the people.
1[umalo said they used the atmos phere of fear and submission as polit ical weapons to get their way.
+e further said that they wanted to establish their legitimacy in the hearts and minds of emaSwati without fol lowing the constitutional mandate and means. For instance, he said they launched an operation dubbed ‘Kungahlwa kwenile’ (campaign to com mit crime during the night .
CRUDE STRATEGY
7he government SpoNesperson said ‘kungahlwa kwenile’ was a crude strategy to achieve mass action in order to produce a propaganda coup. +e said the propaganda coup was meant to hoodwinN the international and regional community into believ ing that emaSwati no longer wanted the obtaining political order in the Ningdom.
+e said it was Nnown the world over that an insurgency sought to overthrow the will and consent of the maMority of the people through unconstitutional and unconventional means.
³7his is then why we are faced with a security problem, not a political one,´ he said.
+e pointed out that emaSwati had always peacefully solved their polit ical problems in the absence of these new violent political phenomenon in vading the political space since -une 29, 2022.
Another concern is the unleashing of the Swa]iland International Sol idarity Forces, which has claimed responsibility for the Nilling of mem bers of the security forces.
7he underground military force is understood to be revenging the Nill ing of people during last year’s civil unrest.
Secretary *eneral of the Swa]iland 1ational Association of 7eachers (S1A7 SiNelela 'lamini said they had not taNen notice of the wording of the communiqup, saying Eswatini faced a political issue, not Must a secu rity challenge.
+e said political issues and secu rity challenges were two different things. In a security matter, 'lamini said it meant that somebody was be ing attacNed or someone has been threatened or is being threatened with danger.
THREATENED
+e e[plained that the person who was being threatened would, there fore, need some protection. As a result, the secretary general of the teachers’ association said SA'C would then facilitate negotiations for security measures.
In fact, the Ney staNeholder where security is concerned is the 5oyal Eswatini Police Service (5EPS . It is the responsibility of the police to ensure protection of people who are facing a security threat, and the 8m butfo Eswatini 'efence Force may also come in to assist if the security measures would require defence mechanisms. 7his is something that
Dlamini believes the country does not need as it faces a political issue.
The S1AT secretary general said the institution of the monarchy was not under threat such that the civil unrest, which unfolded last year could be described or viewed as a security issue.
In a SADC security meeting, impeccable sources, who happen to be political analysts of note in the region State that political questions are usually treated separately.
This is evidenced by the outcome of the meeting of the SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ MCO on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation held on -uly 19, 2022.
The SADC MCO on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation reiterated the region’s commitment to bolster peace, security, stability, integration and development.
STRATEGIC DECISIONS
The commitment was expressed during the 24th Ordinary Meeting of the MCO held on -uly 19, 2022 in Pretoria, South Africa, which adopted a number of strategic decisions and actions aimed at mitigating emerging threats to peace, security and stability in the region.
Dr. 1aledi Pandor, Minister of International 5elations and Cooperation of the 5epublic of South Africa, and Chairperson of the MCO commended member States for remaining steadfast in enhancing peace and security.
Peace and security were considered as the foundation for the realisation of the SADC 9ision 2050 of a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle-to-high income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice and freedom.
Dr. Pandor called for concerted efforts to address emerging national, regional and global challenges that threatened peace, security and stability of the SADC region. To this end, the MCO chairperson urged member States to accelerate implementation of the relevant provisions of the SADC strategies, policy and legal instruments.
:hile the region remained peaceful and stable, Mpedi Magosi, the SADC Secretary, highlighted that the bloc remained seized with pockets of security challenges facing some member States.
Magosi said prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts remained the most sustainable method for enhancing peace and security in the region.
EFFICIENT
On this note, he urged member States to make efficient use of and benefit from the wisdom derived from the SADC Mediation, Conflict Prevention and Preventative Diplomacy Structure, led by Dr. -akaya Mrisho Kikwete, former President of the United 5epublic of Tanzania in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Panel of Elders PoE .
During the meeting, the MCO urged member States to implement the integrated strategy to prevent and combat transnational organised crime in the SADC region and its action plan. In this regard, the MCO approved the establishment of a regional task force comprising representatives from member States to coordinate the implementation of the strategy.
In response to the current threat of terrorism in the region, the MCO endorsed the revised 5egional Counter Terrorism Strategy and its plan of action for the period 2021-2025, and urged member States to expedite the development of national counter terrorism strategies, recognising that preventing and combatting terrorism is key to national and regional peace and security.
COLLABORATE
:ith regards to the protection of critical infrastructure from acts of theft and vandalism, the MCO urged member States to collaborate and coordinate joint and simultaneous operations aimed at apprehending and disrupting activities of syndicates and individuals responsible for theft and vandalism of electricity and water infrastructure.
In recognition of the important role of non-state actors 1SAs in the implementation of the SADC regional integration agenda, the MCO approved the mechanism for engagement between SADC structures and 1SAs.
Following the approval of the mechanism, the MCO directed the secretariat to finalise the guidelines for accrediting 1SAs for engagement with SADC, taking into account the provisions and context of the SADC 5egional Indicative Strategy Development Plan 5ISDP 2020-2030 and SADC 9ision 2050.