Stiffkitten blog August 19, 2012
Global week of
action for democracy in Swaziland
Swaziland’s democratic movement will hold its Global Week
of Action, which has become the biggest campaign for democracy in Swaziland,
between September 3 and 7 – in the wake of the several weeks of protests by
Swaziland’s public sector employees.
According to a press release from one of the many Swazi
organisations that have pledged to participate in the event, the Foundation for
Socio-Economic Justice, they are “demanding a Swaziland that is
socio-economically and politically empowering to all Swazis.”
The thousands of marchers in the two previous years that
the event has been held were met by riot police firing teargas and rubber
bullets, and several of the foreign participants were rounded up, detained,
man-handled, and deported.
And this year’s week of action will almost certainly be
marred by police violence, says Swaziland United Democratic Front coordinator Wandile
Dludlu. “The regime is definitely going to strengthen its smash and crush
policy, but we are going to try our best to minimize the effect of brutally as
much as possible by trying to bring huge numbers and employ strictest crowd
control marshals. But of course that won`t guarantee violence free march.”
This year’s campaign, which is coordinated by the
Swaziland Democracy Campaign, is to include marches, seminars, workshops
and a people’s summit within Swaziland itself, and a range of meetings and
demonstrations in countries around the world.
The democratic movement hopes that they will be able to
reach segments of the Swazi population in areas that haven’t been reached
before. “We hope for increased participation of new towns like Piggs Peak and
Mankayane which have never been invaded before,” says Wandile Dludlu. “We also
aim to produce a people’s charter framework as an immediate outcome of the
global week which will help moving forward in unity.”
For further information please contact:
Inside Swaziland: Wandile Dludlu, SUDF, +268
76111676 and Mary Da Silva, SDC, +268 76030076
In South Africa: Stephen Faulkner, SDC, +27
82 817 5455 and Philani Ndebele, SDC, +27 76 942 3565
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