SWAZI YOUTH WANT REGIME CHANGE

Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO)

Statement

8 September 2011

SOURCE

Swazi Youth want regime change in Swaziland

The Swaziland Youth Congress the youth league of PUDEMO is noting with great concern the current economic crisis that has griped our tiny state. SWAYOCO has always maintained that under the tinkhundla regime Swaziland was bound to reach such a stage of economic depletion because of the autocratic nature of the system that opens space for corruption that results in the loss of E80 million Mlangeni per month.

We still maintain as SWAYOCO that the only viable solution is to democratize by unbanning political parties to contest for power in government. We still maintain that as long as the state through the king closes space for political dialogue and sticks to the on-going social dialogue the situation will move from bad to worse.

We must say that we have been appalled by the successful staging of the umhlanga reed dance ceremony in our country.

As original Swazis we support culture because that’s our identity but we as SWAYOCO we have noted the manipulation and exploitation of culture for selfish personal gain by individuals thus we have withdrawn our support for such events. It was so disgusting that the country can go on with such an event under the present economic crisis.

Umhlanga as a ceremony that is not a ritual could have been stooped to show seriousness towards achieving the goals of the fiscal adjustment road map. The state has proven that culture comes first than education .The tertiary institutions in the country are currently in a financial dilemma.

The University of Swaziland is currently closed because it’s short of funds to run its day to day business. We as SWAYOCO we are surprised that the king summons young maidens when their future is at stake since life without education this days is very hard. Primary and high schools within the country closed early because the government had not paid money to the various schools where it’s supposed to.

This therefore leaves us with the question of what interest is it to the nation to celebrate umhlanga under the present conditions. It’s crystal clear that this was meant to satisfy individuals who ironically do not have the interest of the country at hear but is interested in looting the little we are left with.

We would also like to voice our dismay at some companies and individuals who pledged money to finance part of the event. Its hypocrisy to finance the event when there was no one who came out to our schools and tertiary institutions when they needed money the most. This is just continued corruption where this individuals and companies are doing so to get favours from the monarchy in return. History will judge such individuals. The recent opening of the university is insignificant because the major problem that stopped it from opening has not been solved.

The students themselves are also having a lot of grievances with what the government is proposing to them. The opening of the university of Swaziland has left the students with the agony of accepting terrible conditions without discussion.

The same issue of salary cuts that affected workers has come back to haunt students. This therefore must serve as the uniting factor between the two forces as we go towards the global week of action. We are urging all progressive formations to defy any counter order that will come from the state related to this week of action. We urge the country to unite under one demand that is of regime change and nothing else.