Eswatini boils over amid calls for king to go
SA sends special envoy in bid to quell tensions
Pressure is mounting on Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati, pictured, to introduce democratic reforms in eswatini as political temperatures continue to rise amid widespread protests for change.
Mswati yesterday agreed to a national dialogue as pushed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his role as chairperson of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security co-operation. “I wish to reaffirm SADC’S solidarity and support to the people and government of eswatini towards the achievement of practical and sustainable solutions to enable peace to prevail in the country,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
This week, South Africa, the kingdom’s biggest trading partner, dispatched former justice minister Jeff Radebe as special envoy in an attempt to quell tensions.
Protests calling for democratic reform were sparked in May by the death of law student Thabani Nkomonye, who was allegedly killed by police. Since then, more than 100 people have died at the hands of security forces.
Human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, chairperson of the Multistakeholder Forum, said the time for the king’s government was over and that an interim transitional government must take over under a new democratic dispensation.
The Multistakeholder Forum is an alliance of political parties and civil society groups working towards ushering the country into democracy.
“This current government has dirty hands and can no longer lead Swazis” said the human rights lawyer.
Under the Mswatis political system, Swazis are only allowed to vote for members of parliament headmen and development officers (Bucopho). These elected figures are expected to swear allegiance to the king and those who challenge the monarch risk being thrown behind bars.
Mswati was crowned king on April 25 1986 after inheriting absolute power from his late father, King Sobhuza, who through a 1973 decree, banned political parties and took over the executive, judicial and legislative powers.
Mswati appoints the prime minister, ministers, judges, senators, regional administrators and all members of the various councils of government.
MPS elected by the people to represent them in parliament are required to pledge allegiance to Mswati, his children and descendants. This means the election of MPS under the system of government of Kings Tinkhundla remains useless as some of these people forget about the people after taking the oath.
MP Marwick Khumalo told Sunday World that the arrest of MPS for being the voice of the people in parliament suggests that the system has long been discredited. “It is for these reasons people are now calling pluralism,” he said.
Despite the ban on political parties in the kingdom, activists have continued to call for freedom and the involvement of MPS in the demand for regime change escalated the demand for democratic reform.
The arrest, detention, harassment and torture of political activists, journalists and other human rights defenders are among Mswati’s tactics to silence dissenting voices. Nonhlanhla Dlamini, the executive director of the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse said the situation in the country undermines even the rights of children. “It seems the issue of human rights does not exist in the country, we see even unarmed children shot at close range. Then you ask yourself what was the purpose of signing the UN Conventions on human rights when people are attacked in this manner.”
In a country in which about 70% of the population live below the poverty line, these silenced voices are now calling for Mswati to be ousted. At the centre of these demonstrations are the youth.
Colani Maseko, the president of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) told the Swaziland News that King Mswati days are numbered. “We have one message for Mswati: Your days are numbered” he said.
This has been echoed by Mlungisi Makhanya, president of political party the People’s United Democratic Movement, who said it is just a matter of time before Mswati is removed.