Traditional authorities in the Ngcina Chiefdom in
Swaziland have ordered a man to close his business and leave the area because
he is Asian.
The move is the latest in a number of’ ‘anti-Asian’ incidents
in the kingdom where King Mswati III rules as sub-Sharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch.
The man started his grocery business in September
2016, when he leased a shop from a Swazi national on Swazi Nation Land.
The Times of Swaziland reported on
Monday (24 October 2016) that the man was told by locals that ‘foreigners’ were
not allowed to operate businesses on such land.
Moni
Matsenjwa, a Swazi national who rented out the shop, told the newspaper that businesspeople
of Asian origin were operating many shops in rural areas around the Lubombo
region. He saw no reason not to lease the shop to an Asian person.
Matsenjwa
said he was disappointed when the authorities unanimously objected to the deal
and ordered the Asian man to shut down.
He said
the authorities said they did not want Asians in the area. He said his attempts
to explain himself were rejected.
Headman
at Ngcina Chiefdom Abraham Magagula confirmed to the newspaper that traditional
authorities in the area ordered the Asian businessman to shut down his business
and leave the area.
Asian
people have been in the spotlight since the Swazi Parliament suspended
issuing entry permits to all Asian people to stop them from entering
Swaziland in August 2016.
Following that decision, a
group of Asian people were evicted
from their home at Mgazini and banished from the area simply because they
were Asian.
See also
ALL ASIANS BANNED FROM SWAZILAND
ASIANS
EVICTED FROM HOME
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2016/07/asians-evicted-from-home.html
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