PUDEMO AND LIFE IN SWAZILAND

I know that Swazi journalists surf the Internet to find stories that they can download and use in their newspapers. I know also that there is a lot of information they choose to ignore. Subjects vary, but one that is avoided like the proverbial plague is criticism of the monarchy and the status quo generally. For that reason I am sure that you won’t be reading the following article in the Swazi media anytime soon.

The Botswana newspaper Mmegi (The Reporter) interviewed Siphasha Dlamini, the Secretary General of Swaziland’s People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), a political party banned in the kingdom.

Mmegi put the article on the Internet yesterday (28 July 2008).

Here is an extract from the interview. To access the full interview, click here

MMEGI: Swaziland is an absolute monarchy. What does this mean for a political party such as yours?

DLAMINI: We are a banned organisation because, according to the constitution, political parties are illegal.

M: How do you run an illegal organisation successfully? Where do you get funding? How do you measure the level of your following?

D: We just depend on our own personal earnings to sustain the movement. We have a major problem because people feel threatened to come out and support even if they follow us. The monarchy is very powerful and for anyone to take membership in our party they would have to forgo a lot in their personal and professional life. However, we know that we have a substantial following because the position we hold is what the majority of Swazis support.

M: We know that the situation in Swaziland is perhaps similar to that obtaining in Zimbabwe. Why is it so difficult to get the world’s attention on the Swaziland situation even though it has been unfolding for a long time?

D: Zimbabwe is a mess just like Swaziland. But I believe Swaziland is worse because it does not even have any pretence to adhering to some democratic system. In Zimbabwe there was a time when some sort of democratic system was used whereas in Swaziland none of that ever happened and the repression is at the same level if not worse.

The reason why the Swaziland issue has not captured the attention of the world, the Western world in particular, is because the monarchy serves the interests of the former colonisers. The monarchy is not a threat to Western interests. Remember that even the Zimbabwean issue never captured global attention until Mugabe became a threat to the corporate and imperialist interests.

But also you have SADC,[Southern Africa Development Community] which has shown the same lukewarm attitude toward the state of democracy in Swaziland. I mean Swaziland is a signatory to so many SADC protocols on elections and democratic governance. They do not even uphold any of those principles and yet you won't hear any complaint from SADC.

M: How far are you from reaching your goals especially that of a democratic Swaziland?

D: There is progress minimal as it is especially regarding our major goal [the establishment of a multi-party democracy system in Swaziland]. But you know, we do not just measure our progress with real changes to the system we are contend to have more and more people showing a dedication to our vision. We are working on a long-term change. Ultimately the challenge would be on the Swazi people to say enough is enough and change the system.

M: However even where the country is relatively peaceful and economically stable, a majority of people still wallow in poverty. Look at Botswana, or South Africa, countries that are consistently praised for rapid economic growth, a majority of the people still live in poverty. What is the cause of this discrepancy between the praise by the international community and the hopeless situations of poverty?

D: The policies are designed for the interests of only a few together with their international supporters. That is the problem. So you find the disjuncture between what the international community says about the country and what the majority of the people feel because the people do not enjoy the benefits of the success.

M: As a woman, and a leader in such a big organization how do you view the position of women in Swazi society?

D: Swaziland is a patriarchal society. Women are also relatively reserved as a result. We do have women in leadership positions and others who are specifically dedicated to addressing women issues. Our movement has taken the position of giving the people's issues more attention because we think everyone is oppressed; so we are fighting for everyone's liberation.

See also
PUDEMO ALL THE FACTS ARE HERE