KING’S NEWSPAPER GIVES LGBTI SUPPORT

In an unprecedented and unexpected move in Swaziland, one of King Mswati III’s newspapers has published a supplement that offered support for LGBTI people. 

Swaziland, which is ruled by King Mswati III as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, is fiercely traditional. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people are discriminated against in all walks of life and their relationships and acts are outlawed. 

The Sunday Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, devoted much of its SCENE supplement, aimed at young adults, to the topic last week (22 April 2018). 

Nokwanda Sibandze, who edited the supplement wrote, ‘SCENE set out, as usual, to find people who are proud and open about being gay or even being lesbians. And to our misfortune, most of them could not speak out on the issue as they had their reservations on why they are not comfortable enough to share their story with the rest of the country.  

‘I would honestly say this was one of the hardest and saddest issues I had to do as people in the LGBT[I] community shared why they were not comfortable to share their story.  

‘Some said they have been bullied just because of their sexual orientation while others simply said they are not accepted by their family members so they would not be able to be part of the issue.’ 

Sibandze added, ‘Some were brave enough to share their story and pictures as well. Melusi Simelane, who is an activist for the rights of people in the LGBT[I] community, shared his story and views on the issue. Melusi is also a world traveller who attends meetings and global seminars that speak on rights of LGBT[I] people in the world. He is the communications officer at Rock of Hope and continually strives and fights for the rights of his peers in the country.

‘We also talked to Luyanda Mndzebele a young man who is proudly gay. He says it is not fair that they have to be accepted when everyone else is said to be living right. 

‘We also discuss same sex parenting. As many same sex couples wish and also look forward to having their own children in the future.’

The supplement is unusual because generally LGBTI people are vilified in Swaziland and subjected to abuse in their daily lives and from police and medical workers. 

Pitty Dludlu, a member of the LGBTI community, told the annual Joshua Mzizi Memorial Lecture held in Ezulwini in December 2017 they faced a number of issues that included access to health care without the stigma and prejudice.

The Observer on Saturday reported at the time, ‘Dludlu further decried the service they are subjected to in the hands of the police and health care workers as the worse abusers of the LGBTI community. The abusive situation is worse at the bus terminal station to the LGBTI community. 

‘Other challenges are that they are denied scholarship due to their sexual orientation. Dludlu further pointed that “qualified transgender community are unemployed as they are told point blank that there is no need to proceed with an interview once they see their sexual orientation and told embarrassingly that they don’t hire such people”’. 

In a review of human rights in Swaziland for 2017, just published, the US State Department noted, ‘While colonial-era legislation against sodomy remains on the books, no penalties are specified, and there were no arrests. The government asserted that same-sex relationships and acts were illegal but did not prosecute any cases during the year. 

‘Societal discrimination against LGBTI persons was prevalent, and LGBTI persons generally concealed their sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBTI persons who were open regarding their sexual orientation and relationships faced censure and exclusion from the chiefdom-based patronage system, which could result in eviction from one’s home. 

‘Chiefs, pastors, and government officials criticized same-sex sexual conduct as neither morally Swazi nor Christian. LGBTI advocacy organizations had trouble registering with the government. One such organization, House of Pride, was under the umbrella of another organization that dealt with HIV/AIDS. It was difficult to determine the extent of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity because victims were not likely to come forward, and most LGBTI persons were not open regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

‘On July 23, a third-year University of Swaziland student committed suicide, reportedly because he found himself isolated after his family rejected him due to his sexual orientation.’

There is a long history of discrimination against LGBTI people in Swaziland. In May 2016, Rock of Hope, which campaigns for LGBTI equality in Swaziland, reported to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review on Swaziland that laws, social stigma and prejudice prevented LGBTI organisations from operating freely.

The report, presented jointly with three South African-based organisations, stated, in Swaziland sexual health rights of LGBTI were not protected and there was inequality in the access to health care.

The report added, ‘LGBTIs are discriminated and condemned openly by society. This is manifest in negative statements uttered by influential people in society e.g., religious, traditional and political leaders. Traditionalists and conservative Christians view LGBTIs as against Swazi tradition and religion. There have been several incidents where traditionalists and religious leaders have issued negative statements about lesbians. 

 

‘Human rights abuses and violations against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex population continue to go undocumented, unreported, unprosecuted and not addressed.’

It added, ‘There is no legislation recognizing LGBTIs or protecting the right to a non-heterosexual orientation and gender identity and as a result LGBTI cannot be open about their orientation or gender identity for fear of rejection and discrimination.’

HOOP (House of Our Pride), a support group for LGBTI people, reported to the United Nation in 2011, ‘It is a common scene for LGBTI to be verbally insulted by by-passers in public places. [There is] defamatory name calling and people yelling out to see a LGBTI person’s reproductive part are some of the issues facing LGBTI in Swaziland.’

See also

LESBIAN AND GAY MURDERS IN SWAZILAND

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2015/03/lesbian-and-gay-murders-in-swaziland.html 

SWAZI MINISTER LIES TO UN ON GAYS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/10/swazi-minister-lies-to-un-on-gays.html

GAY PREJUDICE RIFE IN SWAZILAND

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/gay-prejudice-rife-in-swaziland.html

COMMUNITY POLICE BANISH GAY MEN

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/community-police-banish-gay-men.html

NO RIGHTS FOR GAYS: JUSTICE MINISTER

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/no-rights-for-gays-justice-minister.html

PRESS VILIFIED OVER LESBIAN’S DEATH

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2010/01/press-vilified-over-lesbians-death.html

MAN 9 YEARS IN JAIL WITHOUT TRAIL

A murder suspect in Swaziland, who has been in jail for the past nine years without being tried, has filed an urgent application at the High Court to be released.

He had been granted bail in 2009 but could not afford to pay it.

Fana Shongwe from Ndlalambi in the Hhohho region was arrested in September 2009 and charged with murder and arson. He is currently kept at the Sidvwashini Correctional facility.

His case has similarities to that of Sikhumbuzo Mdluli, of Ngwazini in the Manzini region who was arrested and charged with murder in March 2008 and is also reportedly at Sidvwashini awaiting trial.

The Swazi Observer reported on Wednesday (25 April 2018) that Shongwe wanted the High Court to order his release. It reported that in 2009 he was granted bail by the High Court fixed at E50,000 (US$4,070) and was ordered to pay E15,000 cash with the rest being in form of a surety.

It quoted him saying, ‘I was not able to pay the bail as I could not afford and as such I have been in custody from the date of arrest to the date of the present application.’

His lawyer submitted that Shongwe’s incarceration without trial violated the Swaziland Constitution.

Shongwe’s case is similar to that of Sikhumbuzo Mdluli, of Ngwazini in the Manzini region. It was reported in January 2018 that he had been arrested and charged with murder in March 2008 but had not been sent for trial. He has asked the High Court of Swaziland to intervene.

The pair are not the only people jailed for lengthy periods in Swaziland awaiting trial. In December 2017 Swaziland’s Human Rights Commission reported at least 133 people had been detained in Swaziland jails without trial for more than a year, Executive Secretary of the Human Rights Commission Linda Nxumalo told the Sunday Observer at the time,  ‘One of the key cases that the Commission has worked on [in 2017] was one dealing with the issue of access to justice especially for 133 inmates that have been detained for longer than 12 months without trial or sentencing at our already overcrowded correctional facilities.’ 

A report just published by the US State Department into human rights issues in Swaziland for 2017 stated, ‘Lengthy pretrial detention was common. Judicial inefficiency and staff shortages contributed to the problem, as did the police practice of prolonging detention to collect evidence and prevent detainees from influencing witnesses if released. There were instances in which the length of detention equalled or exceeded the sentence for the alleged crime.’

See also

133 JAILED WITHOUT TRIAL FOR A YEAR

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/133-jailed-without-trial-for-year.html

SWAZILAND CALLS ON UN TO ADMIT TAIWAN

Swaziland’s King Mswati III has called on the United Nations to admit Taiwan to the organisation. It came in the week that the country delivered him a multi-million-dollar private A340 Airbus jet and paid US$1.3 million towards the cost of his 50^th birthday celebrations.

Taiwan also promised Swaziland development aid costing millions of US dollars.

In return the King wined and dined Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, awarded her a medal and spoke publicly in her support at his 50^th birthday celebration.

King Mswati rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China on Taiwan, is not recognised by the UN because the People’s Republic of China claims the territory as its own.

The Observer on Saturday, a newspaper in Swaziland in effect owned by the King, reported (21 April 2018), ‘The King said the Taiwanese have done a great job in the country, especially with their assistance in establishing a Royal Science and Technology Park, constructing the International Convention Centre and Five Star Hotel (ICCFISH) as well as the Mbabane Government Hospital’s Out-patient Department (OPD). He also recognised their contribution to the country’s health, agriculture and vocational sectors.’

King Mswati took delivery of a A340 Airbus jet the week before his birthday. It had previously been owned by China Airlines in Taiwan. The purchase price of the 17-year-old jet was US$13.2 million, but with upgrades the cost is reportedly about US$30 million. Media in Swaziland have reported that Taiwan helped in the purchase and facilitated a good price, but the details of this arrangement have not been made public.

Taiwan wants to join the UN and Swaziland has a vote to support it. Because the People’s Republic of China does not want Taiwan in the UN, only 20 countries in the world recognise Taiwan. Those, like Swaziland, that do get ‘friendship’, usually in the form of development aid or hotel trips to Taiwan for newspaper editors and politicians. King Mswati is to visit Taiwan in June 2018.

Taiwanese companies have set up textile factories in Swaziland and have become known for their poor pay and working conditions.

See also 

‘SLAVE LABOUR’ AT TEXTILE FACTORY

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/slave-labour-at-textile-factory.html