The Swaziland Newsletter which is compiled by Africa Contact,
Denmark, in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary
is sent free-of-charge by email.
Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III as sub-Saharan
Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are not allowed to contest
elections and opposition groups that advocate for democracy have been banned
under the Suppression
of Terrorism Act. Journalists have been jailed
for writing articles critical of the ruling powers.
Advocacy group across the world including Amnesty
International and Freedom
House have consistently called on the King, who handpicks
the Prime Minister and government ministers, to allow freedoms of speech,
assembly and association. The King has been estimated by Business Insider
to have a personal wealth of US$200 million, while seven in
ten of his 1.3 million subjects live in abject poverty with incomes of less
than US$2 a day.
The newsletter supports those who want to see a
democratic Swaziland. Richard Rooney, a former associate professor and head of
the Journalism and Mass Communication Department at the University of
Swaziland, who edits the newsletter, said, ‘The newsletter consistently reports
on the failures of King Mswati and his government to uphold the rule of law and
the denial of basic rights to all sections of the Swazi population, including
women, children, political activists, trade unionists, people with disabilities,
ethnic minorities and LGBTI people.’
The 500th
edition contains reports about the death of one of Swaziland’s foremost
traditionalists and human rights violator; the public servants’ campaign for
just salaries; poverty-stricken workers demanding the resignation of a cabinet
minister; corruption at the forthcoming local elections; a controversial Sexual
Offences and Domestic Violence Bill that traditionalists want to gut; and a
report that government is being sued for allowing illegal school beatings.
See also
SWAZILAND
UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
A
DECADE OF NEWS AND VIEWS
HUMAN
RIGHTS YEAR-END REVIEW
PROGRESS
TO SWAZI DEMOCRACY?
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2017/01/human-rights-year-end-review.html
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