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Sunday 14 June 2009

SWAZIS NEED HUMAN RIGHTS BODY

The Swaziland Government has been told it should set up a Human Rights Commission in the kingdom.


Musinga Bandora, of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told a workshop in Swaziland that the kingdom signed many international treaties on human rights, but did nothing to implement them.


Bandora said government had to be taught why and how to implement its human rights obligations.


For example, it needed to support civil society organisations in reaching international human rights standards and citizens to claim their rights.


Bandora said the United Nations had an important role in defending, promoting and advocating for human rights.


Good luck to Bandora, he has his work cut out. As I reported on Wednesday (10 June 2009) in recent days the Swazi state has tightened its grip and human rights and pro-democracy advocates have been targeted.


Thulani Maseko, Swaziland’s most prominent human rights lawyer, has been arrested on a trumped-up charge of sedition, and dissident writer Mfomfo Nkhambule believes an arrest warrant is out for him and he says he is ready to go to jail.


The banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) thinks eight of its leaders are on a hit-list compiled by the Swazi Police and are the next to be arrested.


Legislation is being drawn up this month to make it illegal for anyone on the government’s payroll (including minor civil servants and school teachers) to publicly voice a political opinion and the media is being targeted by a draconian law that would allow government to punish media houses and journalists for publishing material it did not like.


Bandora said the government needs to understand what human rights are. I think it knows already. If there were human rights and civil liberties in Swaziland there would be no ban on political parties, King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, Barnabas Dlamini, his illegally-appointed Prime Minister, and the whole corrupt crew who presently rule in Swaziland would be turned out on their ears by the people.

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