The then Swazi Prime Minister Maphevu Harry Dlamini said the sanctions would be ‘disastrous’ for the Swaziland economy.
The information contradicts the present-day belief
that King Sobuza II and his Swazi Governments were stanch supporters of the
struggle for freedom in South Africa during the Apartheid era.
Dlamini was said to have ‘pleaded strongly’ with the
US and UK not to support sanctions.
This was revealed in a confidential electronic
telegram sent from the United States State Department on 7 November 1978. It
was distributed to the UK, Zambia, Mozambique and France.
The electronic telegram said, ‘During 30-minute
meeting in his office November 2, Prime Minister pleaded strongly with UK and
US reps to urge our governments to prevent adoption of UN sanctions against
South Africa, especially on oil, on ground that sanctions would be not only
suicidal for Swaziland but also extremely detrimental to blacks.’
The writer of the cable, who was not named, but was
likely to be the US Ambassador to Swaziland said the US and UK representatives
at the meeting agreed to seek clarification of positions from their governments
‘soonest’.
The confidential message added, ‘In unprecedented
move, Prime Minister Maphevu summoned British High Commissioner and me jointly
to his office November 2 for urgent approach on issue of UN sanctions against
South Africa.
‘Prime Minister said that from series of telexes and
telecons from Swazi UN representative Malinga, he understood that United
Nations was on brink of voting on sanctions issue and that Western powers,
possibly reflecting disenchantment with South Africa’s posture on Namibian
election question, were leaving impression in New York that they might not repeat not veto a sanctions resolution.
‘Although worried about effect that any kind of
sanctions would have on Swaziland’s economy, Prime Minister was principally
concerned about oil sanctions.
‘Prime Minister said he did not have to remind UK
and US reps in Mbabane, who saw situation first-hand, how dependent Swaziland
economy is on South African economy.
‘Oil sanctions would be “disastrous” for Swaziland.
‘He added that one could be sure that not only
Swaziland’s population, but also blacks in South Africa itself, would be the
first to feel the pinch if sanctions were imposed; he gave the example of black
entrepreneurs in South Africa, who he said would certainly be treated far less
favorably by South African authorities when rationing began.
‘Several times in his forceful half-hour
presentation the Prime Minister talked as spokesman for blacks in all of
Southern Africa and not merely for Swazis.
‘He said sanctions would be “indirect killing of
black people in Southern Africa”.
‘For Swaziland to vote for sanctions would be
“suicidal.”
‘Prime Minister asked rhetorically which black
leaders in South Africa itself would support sanctions. He hoped that Western
policy-makers were not taking advice from “blacks who left South Africa ten to
twenty years ago and who are now living comfortably in Europe and America.”
‘He downplayed any hard-line advice that might be
given by front-line leaders, who continue their own economic dealings with
South Africa (as Swaziland does) because there is no alternative to such
cooperation; he cited Zambian railroad move as one recent example.’
Maphevu Harry Dlamini was Prime Minister
of Swaziland
from 31 March 1976 until his death on 25 October 1979.
The telegram was classified confidential when it was
written in 1978, and was declassified in 2014. It is now publicly available
through the Wikileaks’ Public
Library of US Diplomacy.
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