PUDEMO SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

A few weeks ago I received an email from a man in the United States of America who was researching into political parties in Swaziland.

I had to tell him the bad news that political parties are banned in Swaziland so there are none. Or at least none that are legally operating within the kingdom.

He had written to me because he had been searching on the Internet and hadn’t come across any useful information. He found my blog and thought I might be able to help. Incidentally, I get a number of requests from people searching for information about Swaziland (not just the media) and they find Swazi Media Commentary and ask me to put them in touch with people who can assist them.

This reminds me yet again that there is very little information on the Internet that originates from within Swaziland and it is about time more people went online (so get those blogs up and running).

The main ‘opposition’ organisation in Swaziland is almost certainly PUDEMO (The Peoples United Democratic Movement), but I have found myself that it is very difficult to get good reliable background information on PUDEMO.

Which is why a letter to the editor published in the Times of Swaziland yesterday (11 July 2008) is so useful.

Zakhele Mabuza of PUDEMO writes it and it is about how PUDEMO came in to being and it briefly outlines its purposes.

It is particularly good because it is PUDEMO explaining for itself what it is about and it doesn’t have to rely on the interpretation of a journalist to get the message across.

Here is the letter in full.

When PUDEMO was born… they have said that PUDEMO is anti-monarchy and anti-tradition

The month of July is a sig­nificant period for it marks the birth of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) founded in 1983-a few months after the death of King Sobhuza II.

This was followed by heightened repression in the country orchestrated by the Supreme Council of State, Liqoqo. There was infighting in the palace, xenophobia and collusion with apartheid South Africa that resulted in detention without trial and police brutality. It was against such a background that some patriotic Swazis, including university students and work­ers, resolved to form this or­ganisation with the broad aim of challenging the oppression and iron rule meted by the Liqoqo on the people of this country.

PUDEMO seeks to unite the people of this country in the struggle for constitutional multiparty democracy. The condi­tions of poor governance that existed in the inception of PUDEMO still exit in the present context Swaziland is still run as a private entity (farm).

Committed

Corruption has become part of our culture and the gov­ernment cannot do anything as they are part of the whole mix. Very little resources are committed on health, agricul­ture and education. Educa­tion has become very expen­sive, the country has gone hungry and the health sys­tem has virtually collapsed.

The provision of social services is very poor and at times is done as a favour to the governed. The elderly grant is so low and meaning­less. The challenges faced by the people under the Tinkhundla System of Gov­ernance are countless and are by deliberate human design.

The status quo and people threatened by PUDEMO’s call for constitutional multi-party democracy have spread a lot of misinformation about the organisation. They have said that PUDEMO is anti-monarchy and anti-tradition.

All that PUDEMO seeks is a just political system under con­stitutional multiparty democ­racy that will guarantee the people of this country democ­racy, accountability, transpar­ency and social security. We so much want to see Swaziland become a giant of democracy in the global stage.

PUDEMO is not anti tradi­tion, but does not take kindly to the trend that sees culture being used as a political tool to oppress and indoctrinate the people of this country.

PUDEMO has always called for the drafting of a national constitution that will guaran­tee proper mechanisms for governance and a bill of rights with the involvement of all stakeholders. A very viable, transparent and all inclusive process was put forward by PUDEMO to the government of the day as early as 1992. However, being anti political pluralism the government de­liberately refused to adopt the proposed strategy.

Entrenchment

Instead they short circuited this process and went the vusela, CRC and CDC route that ensured the end product would guarantee the entrench­ment of the status quo in the form of the present document that is called a national consti­tution.

We reject this document for it does not truly represent the as­pirations for a future Swaziland that is governed democratically and transparently.

The election structure under the existing status quo is de­liberately designed to produce a legislature and an executive that does not have powers to independently and honestly discharge their duties.

These officers are then re­warded for agreeing to play politics, be errand boys and girls.

PUDEMO wants an election process that will provide people with real power and be able to formulate policies and implement them. This is the constitutional multi-party democracy we are calling for.

We believe the Tinkhu­ndla System of Govern­ance and its election proc­ess is meant to promote in­dividualism as opposed to collectivism (a clear divide and rule strategy). What can an individual without a political constituency do in Parliament and in the ex­ecutive to promote good governance?

Individuals will be for­ever grateful to the mas­ters of the political system for allowing them time to continue receiving ben­efits and privileges which are very scarce for the or­dinary Swazi in the streets, slums and rural areas.

Zakhele Mabuza
Information and Publicity-
PUDEMO

See also
SWAZI COPS BEAT UP PUDEMO - UPDATE