LUTFO LIES TO SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA

As I predicted earlier today Swazi Cabinet minister Lutfo Dlamini has been talking to the South African media about the ‘uprising’ planned in the kingdom for next Tuesday (12 April 2011).

And, true to form, Dlamini didn’t tell the truth.

According to the AFP news agency, Dlamini said, ‘We are hearing more about an uprising on April 12 outside Swaziland than we are inside.’ Simply not true. The newspapers in Swaziland are reporting (unfavourably it must be said) aspects of the uprising every day. They have given extensive coverage to the Swazi government’s claims that it is in control and there’s nothing to worry about etc.

The only media to be silent are the state-controlled broadcasting.

Dlamini went on to say, ‘We are very much disturbed that there are parties outside the kingdom meeting and planning to disregard the unity and sovereignty of Swaziland.’ Wrong again. It is true that there are organisations inside South Africa that plan to hold solidarity protests on 12 April, one being a march by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to the Swaziland border. But they will be held on South African soil and not be violating Swaziland’s territory.

Of course, Dlamini didn’t attempt to answer the concerns of the protestors, who want to get rid of the entire government, handpicked by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. They also want a raft of economic and social reforms in the kingdom.

On 18 March 2011 about 8,000 people marched to the office of the Prime Minister demanding change. Does Dlamini expect us to believe that these Swazi were agitators from outside Swaziland?

Let’s be honest (because Lutfo Dlamini cannot be) he is lying to the South African media. I hope they have more sense than their Swazi counterparts and don’t let him get away with it.

To read the full AFP report, in which Dlamini also claims, ‘We do not have any political prisoners. People who have chosen self-exile have done so for personal political gains. We have nothing to hide as a nation,’ click here.