Swaziland has once again been criticised for its poor
record on human rights by an international organisation.
Human
Rights Watch published its review of 2016 and stated, ‘Swaziland,
ruled by absolute monarch King Mswati III since 1986, continued to repress
political dissent and disregard human rights and rule of law principles in
2016. Political parties remained banned, as they have been since 1973; the
independence of the judiciary is severely compromised, and repressive laws
continued to be used to target critics of the government and the king despite
the 2005 Swaziland Constitution guaranteeing basic rights.’
Human Rights Watch is one of a number of international organisations,
including Amnesty
International and the United
States State Department, that annually bring the shortcomings of Swaziland
to the world’s attention.
Human Rights Watch reported, ‘Restrictions on freedom of association and
assembly continued in 2016. The government took no action to revoke the King’s
Proclamation of 1973, which prohibits political parties in the country.
‘Police used the Urban Act, which requires protesters to give two weeks’
notice before a public protest, to stop protests and harass protesters. In
February, police arrested Mcolisi Ngcamphalala and Mbongwa Dlamini, two leaders
of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), when they
participated in a protest action. Two days later, the police raided their
homes.’
The report added, ‘Political activists faced trial under security
legislation and charges of treason under common law. The Suppression of
Terrorism Act of 2008 placed severe restrictions on civil society
organizations, religious groups, and media. Under the legislation, a “terrorist
act” includes a wide range of legitimate conduct such as criticism of the
government. The legislation was used by state officials to target perceived
opponents through abusive surveillance, and unlawful searches of homes and
offices.’
The report continued, ‘The Sedition and Subversive Activities Act
continued to restrict freedom of expression through criminalizing alleged
seditious publications and use of alleged seditious words, such as those which
“may excite disaffection” against the king. Published criticism of the ruling
party is also banned. Many journalists practice self-censorship, especially
with regards to reports involving the king, to avoid harassment by authorities.
‘On September 16, the High Court of Swaziland ruled that sections of the
Suppression of Terrorism Act and the Sedition and Subversive Act were
unconstitutional and violated freedom of expression and association. The
invalid provisions relate to the definition of the offences of sedition,
subversion, and terrorism. Classification of organizations as terrorist, which
the government had used to ban political parties like the People’s United
Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), was also ruled to be unconstitutional.’
See also
SWAZI
TRIALS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED: AMNESTY
KING
EXPLOITS FORCED CHILD LABOUR
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