Will a
post-democratic Swaziland be a ‘nation united’?
Understandably, people in Swaziland are focused on and
eager to bring about democratic change. After all, it is the corrupt and brutal
absolute monarchy of King Mswati III that is to a large degree responsible for
the mass-poverty, inequality, financial disorder, and lack of freedom of speech
and assembly in Swaziland, writes Kenworthy
News Media.
But it is equally important to focus on what Swaziland
will look like upon achieving the multi-party democracy that the majority of
Swazis seemingly want. Neighbouring South Africa, for example, might have had a
non-racial multi-party democracy for nearly twenty years, but the ruling ANC
hasn’t been able or willing to extend its political victories to widespread
socio-economic progress for South Africa’s many poor.
This is why Mario Masuku, President of Swaziland’s
largest political party, the proscribed People’s United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO), has recently reiterated that Pudemo must be ready to anticipate and
campaign in a multi-party election, to be able to build politically on the fact
that they “enjoy massive support across Swaziland while some of the other
parties are merely opportunistic,” as PUDEMO President Mario Masuku puts it.
But PUDEMO are not alone in actively anticipating the
implementation of multi-party democracy in Swaziland. The traditional movement,
Sive Siyinqaba (siSwati for “nation united”, also known by its slogan, Sibahle
Sinje, “we are beautiful as we are”) was formed in 1996 to shield Swazi culture
from outside influences and to try and quell the influence of PUDEMO and the
trade union movement.
The policies of Sive Siyinqaba are free market
orientated, but value state intervention and indigenisation of the economy.
According to its constitution, Sive Siyinqaba will “protect and conserve Swazi
heritage in all its forms from indiscriminate degradation, contempt and
ridicule and facilitate changes thereto where such are necessary.” In effect,
the party is claiming that true democracy will erode Swaziland’s cultural
identity and create disharmony.
“Sive Siyinqaba was formed with the objective of countering the moves by PUDEMO towards a nominal democratisation of the country, claiming to defend the traditions and the sustainment of the Tinkundla system of government,” Mario Masuku says.
“Sive Siyinqaba was formed with the objective of countering the moves by PUDEMO towards a nominal democratisation of the country, claiming to defend the traditions and the sustainment of the Tinkundla system of government,” Mario Masuku says.
“But from 1998, Sive Siyinqaba shifted goal posts to say
that they are a political entity and that their method is to ‘change the system
from within’. But as they do not interfere with the monarch or the Tinkundla
system, the question we ask is – ‘change what’?,” Mario Masukus asks
rhetorically. “Most of their members are former MP’s or Cabinet Ministers, so
they are seated on both sides of the fence.”
Marwick Khumalo, the MP for Lobamba Lomdzala who is
the face of Sive Siyinqaba as well as being one of the forming members of the
movement, has been an MP in Swaziland’s lower house for the last 15 years, and
allegedly the party has held anywhere between 25% and 60% of the seats in
Swaziland’s Parliament – although as it illegal to run for office on a party
ticket so no-one really knows.
Khumalo was even elected Speaker of the House, but was
“dropped like a hot potato” in violation of Swaziland’s constitution, as Swazi
Magazine The Nation put it, because
absolute Monarch King Mswati III “wanted him out.” And Khumalo was one of the
most vocal MP’s in speaking for last year’s vote of no confidence in the
Swaziland’s Cabinet, although King Mswati III – again in violation of the
constitution – declined to do so.
So one has to ask oneself what, if anything, has Sive
Siyinqaba and other parties who claim to be “changing the system from the
inside” achieved. And do they truly want to change the Tinkundla system once
they have been sworn in as MP’s who are bound to serve King Mswati III “or
else”, with the honour and healthy pay check that goes with it?
That Sive Siyinqaba stated earlier in the year that they
“fully support the monarch” and that “the King has done a lot by returning
constitutionalism and in particular the basic right for citizens to associate
and discuss the future of their country,” should be a good indication of where
Sive Siyinqaba’s sympathies really lie.
And the fact that “insider”-parties such as Sive
Siyinqaba do not receive the same harsh treatment by the authorities also
indicates that the authorities are a lot more sympathetic towards towards them
than the parties who advocate real change, as is the fact that Mswati’s
half-brother, Prince Guduza, who was the speaker of the Lower House in the last
parliament, “is part of Sive Siqinqaba’s senior leadership”, according to
Freedom House.
But people in Swaziland and outside need to also
understand the threat that parties such as Sive Siyinqaba pose to the
democratisation of Swaziland, even after multi-party democracy has been
achieved. With their potential support in the rural areas, that are more
culturally conservative and tend to equate Swazi culture with the monarchy. And
with their experience of election campaigns, the fact that they are allying
themselves with other parties, and the potential of a significant financial
backing of the party by a King and the Royal elite who have no shortage of
funds.
So PUDEMO and those who wish to see a true
democratisation of Swaziland need to win both the political struggle for
multi-party democracy, the struggle for funds to run election campaigns, but
also the battle of cultural consciousness that will determine how Swazi culture
is framed.
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