SWAZI CELEBRATIONS CONDEMNED

Hot on the heels of my post earlier today (11 August 2008) containing news you’ll never get to hear from the Swazi media here’s another example.

This one is a press release from the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) about the forthcoming elections and the 40/0 celebrations to mark the 40th birthday of King Mswati III and the 40th anniversary of the Swaziland’s independence from Great Britain.

Here it is in full.

On September 6, the Swazi regime, will celebrate the King's birthday together with Swazi Independence Day. These celebrations are financed in millions of public resources notwithstanding that the King holds in access of $200 million in personal bank accounts (see the World's Richest Royals-Forbes.com where Mswati is ranked World 14th ).

SSN strongly condemns both celebrations, for both are of no benefit to the majority of impoverished Swazis. This is typical nature of dictators who celebrate with these extravagance parties while their people are suffering. Let us remind ourselves that half of Swazi population lives of HIV/AIDS, three quarter are living on or below the bread line. This same dictatorial monarchy bans democratic political parties whose aim is to democratise and deliver essential services to the poor. How then can Swazis celebrate this false independence and the birthday of a dictatorship monarchy?

September 19 Sham Elections

The SSN condemns the sham elections of Sept. 19, 2008. The King appoints one third of the parliament with the Prime Minister – clearly this is a useless elections creating a toothless parliament, since executive, judicial and legislative authority is vested in the King. It is an elections based on individual candidates standing while political parties remain banned and freedom of speech and association remains banned and suppressed.

These individual candidates must then ask permission from and be approved by the local chief to contest elections. The nominations has to happen in the chiefs home. Clearly, only those candidates who are supporting this dictatorship and corruption will be allowed to stand by the chief.

The electoral body in charge of the sham elections is handpicked by the King. He has appointed people who are not qualifying to be on the board and only those who support his dictatorship. There is no true democracy in this sham elections – it betrays all SADC, UN and AU protocols on true democratic elections.

PROTEST NOTICE

The SSN and PUDEMO External Region will hold two demonstrations:

1) Sept. 6 at the Swazi Embassy in Pretoria

2) Sept 19 The Day of Swazi Sham Elections.

PETITION to SADC

We have also sent SADC an urgent petition to deal with the Swazi Crisis. The petition will also be attached to this Press Release.

Conclusion

We call on the media, SADC, African Union, United Nations reps in Southern Africa to condemn the sham Swazi elections. We further note bomb blasts in Swaziland that were reported in Swazi Media.

This points to a recipe for full conflict that will escalate and spill over into SADC region, already wrestling with the Zimbabwean conflict. Unless real pressure is put upon Mswati to change, he will continue to take Swaziland into poverty and conflict. Let us not waste precious time in condemning this undemocratic regime in our backyards and push for real change.

Issued by The Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN]

For more information contact

Lucky Lukhele

[SSN] spokesperson

Mobile: 072 502 4141

Tell: 011 339 3621

Fax: 011 339 4244

Email: ssnnetwork@gmail.com

See also
SWAZILAND SOLIDARITY CONFERENCE