SWAZILAND DEMOCRACY NOW! LAUNCH

The following is a statement Issued by the Swaziland Democracy Campaign Preparatory Team.

Launch of the Swaziland Democracy Campaign

28 November 2009 will mark an historic day in the struggle for democracy in Swaziland . On this day organisations representing the overwhelming majority of the oppressed and struggling people of Swaziland, and organisations supporting their cause here in South Africa, will jointly gather in Johannesburg to formally launch the Swaziland Democracy Campaign.

This campaign builds on the proud tradition of joint border blockades between South African organisations and their Swazi counterparts, started in 1996 by COSATU, the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions and PUDEMO in Swaziland, this momentum snowballed into the Joint Swazi Action Campaign (JSAC) and ultimately in the forthcoming launch of the Swaziland Democracy NOW! Campaign.

The Campaign is the culmination of a series of consultations, joint mass activities, a sustained information campaign and the exchange of ideas and experiences on mass mobilisation between South African organisations and their Swazi counterparts, to expose King Mswati and his cohorts for their continued suffocation of the Swazi people’s aspirations, corruption and extravagance in the midst of dehumanising poverty.

Through the Swaziland Democracy Campaign we hope to launch a Global Campaign initiative involving millions of people, including justice activists, democrats and internationalists all over the world, acting in unity against the oppressive tinkhundla regime in Swaziland.

The campaign has already struck a chord with global activists in different parts of the world, who have already started pledging their support and interest in actively participating and supporting the struggle for democracy in Swaziland.

In this regard, we note and welcome the visit of Swaziland trade unionists to Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal, with the kind assistance of various friends of the Swazi people, who have recorded huge successes in raising the profile of the Swazi people’s struggle and winning more support for the cause.

We also salute the British TUC for their efforts to consolidate a decisive and clear initiative towards the coming Commonwealth Heads of State summit in Trinidad and Tobago and the impetus added by the International Trade Union Confederation report on Swaziland in which it is identified as one of the worst violators of workers’ rights and demonstrating a lack of respect for basic democratic obligations.

Through this campaign we will assert that the focus is the enemy of the Swazi people - the royal family and the tinkhundla regime as a whole. All people of the world must be rallied against these as targets who must be isolated, exposed and confronted wherever they go. Their assets must be frozen, their luxuries confiscated and their lives made miserable as they are doing to the suffering people of Swaziland.

For far too long, the Swaziland economy has been used to parasitically feed the royal family and beef up their security by brutalising the people’s campaign for democracy and change. The message must be loud and clear, this is the time for sanctions against Swaziland’s ruling regime.

This Campaign follows a series of actions organised throughout September, and a successful meeting of South African civil society organisations held on 22 October 2009, attended by NGOs, faith-based organisations, solidarity and social movements, political parties, Alliance formations, COSATU and its affiliated unions, PUDEMO activists and individual solidarity activists.

This meeting developed a shared understanding of what solidarity means and how this translates into concrete actions. It was through this assessment that the idea of a global campaign for democracy, starting here in South Africa was born. This Campaign enjoys the full confidence and legitimacy of all those involved and who are affected by the struggle, as it brings together both those in whose name the struggle is being waged and those who are offering solidarity or supporting the flag bearers of the cause.

This initiative has benefited immensely from the proud traditions of the anti-apartheid movement and other international solidarity initiatives throughout the world, in whose achievements and lessons this Campaign stands. Armed with activists who were personally involved in many international struggles, particularly the anti-apartheid movement and a wealth of experienced trade unionists, NGO activists and internationalists of varying form, this initiative is destined for greater heights.

However, all this relies on the vast knowledge, involvement and leadership of the Swazi people themselves and their representative organisations on the matters that only they know best.

In the run up to the launch of the Swaziland Democracy Campaign we will be engaging in:

A seminar to exchange views between organisations from Swaziland and their counterparts from Zimbabwe and South Africa. It will share lessons from the transitions and challenges in these countries. It will also include a scenario development and analysis process to map our future scenarios for a democratic Swaziland and will agree a joint programme of action to guide the momentum towards a sustained offensive.

Processes on both sides of the border to prepare for the launch, which will consolidate all of them into a single mighty wave for a new and democratic Swaziland.

The formal launch of a Swaziland Democracy Campaign will take place on 28 November 2009 in Johannesburg through the joint work of both Swaziland and South African progressive and civil society organisations

Issued by the Swaziland Democracy Campaign Preparatory Team.