Statement
8 September 2011
"SUDF/SCCCO Salutes Global Solidarity, Condemns Police Brutality"
The Coordination Team comprising the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) and the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organizations (SCCCO) hereby acknowledges and salutes Swaziland Civil Society (CS) in its entirety and our international solidarity partners for once again duly heeding our call to participate in the ongoing Global Week of Action on Swaziland (GWoAS) in and outside our borders.
We wish to express our indebtedness in particular to COSATU and its affiliates, particularly SAMWU, NUMSA, SATAWU, SACCAWU for continuing the trend they set last year by actually gracing us with their presence despite the risks to their membership of defiantly re-entering the borders of Swaziland following their unwelcoming and humiliating treatment by the Swaziland police during last year's GWoAS. Comrades, you have once more demonstrated your unflinching commitment to the cause of multiparty democracy in Swaziland by actually putting your money where your mouth is. We say a big THANK YOU.
We cannot leave out the Zimbabwe Global Diaspora Forum who, have continued to ensure that Comrade Sox Chikomuwero represents them among the throngs of pro-democracy Swazis in the streets of Mbabane, Manzini, Nhlangano, Siteki, etc.
To the South Africa Chapter of the Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC), we say we note your invaluable contribution in profiling the pro-democracy struggle worldwide, resulting in SDC chapters proliferating in Africa and beyond. We do not underestimate the value of the Swaziland Chapter, which forms the anchor and thread for the entire pro-democracy campaign. We realize that it is through this chapter's determined work in the dangerous political terrain inside Swaziland that 37 countries of the globe are commemorating GWoAS in solidarity with us this week. Finally, we welcome and appreciate the thousands of people and organizations all over the world who continue to stand by us during such trying times, including the work of the SSN forum in raising our issues.
In this regard, we wish to acknowledge and warmly accept messages of solidarity from the WFTU, Africa Contact (AC), the SACP, the ANCYL, Botswana National Front (BNF), Action Support Centre (ASC), National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), Swaziland Student Union (SSU), NEHAWU, Communication Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA), ITUC, WFTU, Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), ITUC, and many others, for their untiring support.
The SUDF/SCCCO Coordination takes this opportunity to condemn in the strongest terms the uncalled for brutality meted out to demonstrators and students in Siteki and Mbabane respectively yesterday. We are appalled at the arrest and forceful removal of visiting COSATU Deputy President, Comrade Zingiswa Losi and COSATU Deputy International Secretary, Comrade Zanele Matebula in Siteki. We say to the SA government and the international community, here is once again evidence of the intolerance that reflects absence of democracy against which we have been struggling all along. How much more brutality do you need to convince you that Swaziland suffers foremost from a political sickness that unconditional economic bailouts will never remedy? We therefore insist on stringent political reforms attached to any such bailouts from whatever source.
Forward with the spirit of non-surrender forward! The actions continue and conclude in Mbabane on Friday (9 September 2011). Amandla!
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