A statement from the recently-formed Communist Party of Swaziland, reporting its recent Central Committee meeting.
‘The tendency in some sections of the international press simply to present King Mswati as a buffoon masks the hard realities facing our people and the struggle for freedom and democracy in our country,’ it says.
Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Swaziland, 8 May 2011
The Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Swaziland met in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa over the weekend of 7-8 May for its first session since the founding conference of the Party on 9 April this year.
The CPS reviewed the process of building the party’s structures and the work of its office holders, the current situation in Swaziland and the state of the broad movement for democratic change.
The CC of the CPS welcomes the growing unity within the trade union movement in Swaziland shown by the merging of the two union federations to form the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland. The CC noted that this is the result of persistent efforts to achieve unity within the Swazi labour movement and is an important advance for the working class. This will allow greater coordination among workers and their unions in fighting the efforts of the Mswati regime to slash wages and impose worse working conditions in an effort to stave off its economic collapse. It will also enable the working class to mobilise more effectively on the broad political agenda of democratic change in Swaziland and to increase the militancy of the working class against Mswati and his corrupt and useless government.
The CPS will work hard to help build TUCSWA [Trade Union Congress of Swaziland] to achieve the strongest possible base of unity within the organisation.
The CC discussed the state of the pro-democracy movement in Swaziland and the need for a more concerted socialist perspective and agenda within the movement. The CC noted that recent and past protests in Swaziland on labour issues and for democratic change were carries first and foremost by the working class and the poor. It is their representation within the broad movement for democracy – including within PUDEMO – that needs to be strengthened.
The CC discussed the growing efforts internationally to draw attention to the callous and wasteful behaviour of the Mswati court and welcomed calls by the ANCYL on artists to boycott the celebration of Mswati’s birthday. The CC further calls for a comprehensive commercial, cultural and sports boycott of Swaziland. Much of the campaigning work of the CPS will be devoted to raising support for such a boycott, in addition to stepping up the use of border blockades to disrupt the economic lifelines of the Mswati regime.
The CC noted that the increased attention on the behaviour of the Mswati regime internationally needs to be augmented by more information on Swaziland’s political and economic situation. The tendency in some sections of the international press simply to present Mswati as a buffoon masks the hard realities facing our people and the struggle for freedom and democracy in our country.
The CC examined the development of the CPS’s work and discussed how to make it more effective despite the situation of scarce resources. The Party is in the early stages of its development and needs to work simultaneously on a number of fronts to build its capacity while advancing the form and content of the struggle in Swaziland – principally among the working class and the poor – and in cooperation with key structures of the pro-democracy movement. The CC also looked at the efforts of the CPS to develop its international and solidarity work and information work, as well as the organisation and work of the CPS commissions on women, workers, peasants and land workers, and youth.
Members of the CPS based in South Africa will assist the SACP and the Alliance movement as a whole in ensuring a robust ANC victory in the local government elections on 18 May. We view the success of the ANC-led Alliance in furthering the National Democratic Revolution as being crucial not only to progress in South Africa but ultimately to the progressive development of the Southern African region, including Swaziland.
Long Live Socialism!
Long Live the CPS!
Long Live working class internationalism!
Down with the Mswati regime!
Yes to a Socialist Swaziland!
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