LIFT HIGH THE BEACON OF DEMOCRACY

Following the successful first-ever People’s Dialogue held on 18 July 2009 and the publishing on the Manzini Declaration, the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations has released an open letter to the Government of Swaziland

The open letter was published as a paid advertisement in the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, today (11 August 2009).

It calls on the Swazi Government to lift high ‘the beacon of democracy, justice and freedom for the people of Swaziland’.

Don’t hold your breath.

Below is the full text of the letter.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SWAZILAND

Swazi Civil Society has decided to write to you this open letter because we feel there is a need to convey, to the government some of the concerns identified and expressed by Swazis from all walks of life who converged at the John Bosco Skills Centre in Manzini on July 18, 2009 to discuss and debate a range of social, economic, cultural and political issues pertaining to the past, present and future of this country.

This message is being conveyed through the medium of a paid advert in the newspaper because we are convinced that we will not have an opportunity to highlight the same given the very way the SMART PARTNERSHIP process is structured. It is certainly not geared for an open and interactive dialogue or a free exchange of views. It has no mechanisms of action or accountability and it falls far short of the Social Dialogue Process that the United Nations and International Labour Organisation promote. The government is fully aware that it is expected to report to the ILO in November about progress on Social Dialogue, Human Rights and the repeal of the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Failure to make progress on these issues may have adverse consequences for all of us in the country.

It is one of the reasons that we call for proper dialogue for the country to progress, but, the people and the international community all know that SMART is not that forum. Civil Society has been kept away from the table until the last minute. We are guests in the process not partners. Our voices will be silenced because we are not permitted to bring a mandate or represent a group.

Our hope is that we reach those delegates at the upcoming SMART PARTNERSHIP two day event so that they fully comprehend the magnitude and urgency of the issues raised during the Sidla Inhloko People’s Dialogue which was a peaceful and open forum to which everyone was welcome.

The main thrust of our gathering was that all Swazis have a stake in determining the future of our country. The men and the women, the young and the old, the rich, the poor, the healthy and the sick.

All of us want to do something concrete to eradicate poverty; we all want to stem the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and provide those of us living with AIDS dignified lives; we are equally determined to improve our health services in all other spheres.

All of us in the countryside and in the urban areas want to live decent lives. We want to be able to afford a balanced diet, pay rent, or own our homes; we want the prices of basic commodities to come down and we want to earn an honest living wage in working conditions that are not detrimental to our health.

We are very concerned about the high unemployment rate, especially as it impacts on the youth, who represent the future of this nation. We want to work together to ensure that Swaziland implements policies that create and maintain employment because this is one of the surest safeguards to stem the worrying rates of crime and insecurity.

Is there a Swazi person who celebrates when a woman is raped or a girl child molested? Is there a Swazi person who is happy to read of yet another woman being killed by an abusive spouse or endure indignities simply because she is female?

We Swazis are a peace loving people who cherish law and order. But this law and this order must be upheld while also protecting our fundamental freedoms - like the right to freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, freedom of conscience and the right to own, inherit and dispose of property, including land.

And speaking of land and our natural wealth, we need to preserve the beauty of our environment which has made Swaziland world famous; we need to balance the need for economic development and the importance of ensuring that we conserve our rivers, mountains, forests and other natural attributes.

Education is one of the keys to our long term sustainability. We need to invest in the technical and professional development of our youth by providing them with free, high quality education from the primary school to the tertiary, post secondary institutions. This education should measure up to the most rigorous international standards because in the 21^st century we live in an interdependent globalized world.

As loyal Swazis, we cherish and revere the institutions of the Ingwenyama and Ndlovukazi which have deep rooted traditions, tremendous cultural significance and a source of pride and identity to all of us. We want to protect these institutions and preserve them. The Kingdom of Lesotho, The United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Norway all have Kings and Queens that are respected and even revered but they are also thriving and vibrant multi-party democracies.

Why can’t we have the same in Swaziland?

We therefore call upon the government of Swaziland to make a bold and courageous step by lifting high the beacon of democracy, justice and freedom for the people of Swaziland. Reach out to those who dissent as well as those who agree.

The Manzini Declaration is our calling card, it says what the people want action on. When the government decides to meet us in a true spirit of partnership, you will find us willing to tackle the massive problems facing this country head on.

There is no time to lose