The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) supports today’s mass demonstration for democracy in Swaziland today (18 March 2011). In a statement it calls on the South African Government to ‘cut trade and economic ties with King Mswati’s regime until democratic reforms and a transition to democracy is in place.’
NUMSA CALLS ON SA GOVERNMENT & BUSINESS TO CUT TIES WITH THE ILLEGITMATE KING MSWATI REGIME!
18 March 2011
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) supports the ongoing popular mass actions, starting today 18 March 2011, by workers and the rural peasantry of Swaziland under the leadership of Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF).
Today’s popular mass actions are part of exerting pressure to the oppressive and undemocratic regime of King Mswati to introduce democratic reforms, abolish the Tinkhundla system, the immediate release of all political prisoners and unbanning of all political parties by the regime.
The people of Swaziland should be inspired by the fighting spirit of the late ANC President Oliver Tambo, an internationalist par excellence, when he made a call to the people of South Africa to make the apartheid South Africa ungovernable until it is governed by the people.
We call on all South Africans, particularly the workers and the poor to support the ongoing struggles of the oppressed people of Swaziland. Our freedom and democracy will be meaningless if the people of Swaziland are still oppressed, under the guise of failed, illegitimate and rejected systems of Kingdoms or Monarchies. The people of Swaziland have a right to choose a democratic government of their own, under a transparent and popular democratic process, as opposed to an illegitimate and hereditary system that imposes King Mswati as a leader. If King Mswati wants to rule in Swaziland, he should be subject himself into a secret ballot box to test his popularity amongst the masses of Swaziland.
King Mswati’s ascendency to power is no different from our own past and rejected Bantustan systems and its leaders, such as Kgosi Lucas Mangope, in the then Bophuthatswana or Gatsha Buthelezi in the then KwaZulu.
We also call on the people of Swaziland to use today’s mass actions to raise a finger against the loud silence by the not-so-democratic and United States sponsored United Nations (UN) for its failure to impose sanctions against the illegitimate King Mswati’s regime. The silence by the UN and the not-so-genuine advocates of democracy in the world is informed by their capitalist accumulation interests in Swaziland, at the expense of the oppressed and suffering Swazis.
We call on South African government to cut trade and economic ties with King Mswati’s regime until democratic reforms and a transition to democracy is in place. We also call on SA owned companies based Swaziland to de-invest with immediate effect. The failures by our government and SA companies based in Swaziland, it will reinforce our beliefs that our foreign relations with Swaziland do not take into account the concerns of the people of Swaziland and we have joined the side of the oppressor to oppress them.
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