Swaziland
Newsletter No. 727 – 20 May 2022
News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Global
Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk)
in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com),
and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.
Student
union president singled out and brutally attacked by King Mswati army
Independent
Online, South Africa, 17 May 2022
Johannesburg – King Mswati’s military officials have attacked
students at the University of Eswatini, among them the president of the
Swaziland National Union of Students, Colani Maseko, who was allegedly
abducted, brutally assaulted and made to roll on a tarred road before being
abandoned.
Maseko had since been found and taken to hospital.
This comes after a student protest that was held at
the university, where King Mswati is also its chancellor.
Students took to the streets over the long-standing
call for democracy and change of government in the country, while recently
student allowances also became part of the agenda as students had not received
theirs since the beginning of the academic year.
The fight to do away with King Mswati began last year
and has brought the country to a standstill, causing extreme violence and
killings.
Maseko was believed to have been at the forefront of
the fight for students against the current leader.
Pudemo head of international relations Siboniso
Mkhabela believes that this attack was not just against the students but rather
a warning for Maseko, given the extent of the attack against him.
“The student fight started last year on May 8 when 4th
year student Thabani Nkomonye was brutally killed by the soldiers during the
protests that were held against King Mswati. There has since been a national
protest in his memory and Colani Maseko was attacked because he was the leader
of the protests.”
Mkhabela added that Maseko was also known for his
stance of encouraging students to burn the portraits of King Mswati, and that
also angered the king.
The students were said to be working on a way forward
and it remained unknown when school would resume.
“The university has been closed indefinitely by the
army and the police so there are currently no students there, but the students
are angry and vengeful and say that there shall be no peace for the police and
the army. That is their stance right now,” said Mkhabela.
Mkhabela has also added that “this raid by soldiers
and police at the university does not come as a shock because this is how King
Mswati has chosen to fight back against protesters time and time again and the
students will not be backing down this time.
“Maseko is still in hospital and is expected to spend
the night because he is in a critical state, but we are hoping for the best. We
hope he doesn’t experience internal bleeding given the level of assault,” said
Mkhabela.
It is not yet clear what happens next while they await
the recovery of the union president, but it is clear that for the students this
fight is far from over.
Sive
Siyinqaba urges international community to take action after Mswati’s soldiers
abducted Students President.
By
Bongiwe Dlamini, Swaziland News, 18 May, 2022
MBABANE: Ngomyayona Gamedze, the Acting
Chairman of Sive Siyinqaba National Movement has called upon the international
community particularly diplomats to take action after King Mswati allegedly
unleashed soldiers to abduct Colani Maseko, the President of the Swaziland
National Union of Students (SNUS).
In a public statement sent to this Swaziland
News, the National Movement said it was “appalled at the inhuman, cannibalistic
and barbaric manner with which a whole battalion of the eSwatini Umbutfo
Defence Force brutalised and tortured the unarmed President of the Swaziland
National Union of Students Mr Xolani Maseko on Tuesday, 17th May 2022”.
The political organization said the
attack on Maseko deserves the condemnation of all peace-loving people and
beyond.
“Kicking the young man whilst he
helplessly lay on the ground, including a gashing wound opened by a metal
object was an atrocity that was too scary to watch and it deserves the
condemnation of all peace-loving people in the country and beyond, including the
Ambassadors of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the European
Union, the Republic of South Africa and others. We have no doubt that such
heinous incidents will be reported to the capitals of those nations. Abduction
of citizens for torture by members of the Army is not provided for in any law,
which renders the whole exercise monstrous and unlawful,” reads the statement
in part
Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo, the Army
Spokesperson said she would wait for a report from the Officer-in Charge before
commenting on the matter. On another note, Sive Siyinqaba said as an
organization, they have not forgotten the mass killings that took place last
June.
“It is sad that criminal action of such
high magnitude is orchestrated at the highest level of the Army. The citizens
of this once great country are now on their own. The protector of Swazis has
become the devour of the protected,” reads the statement in part.
Soldiers tortured me in the forest- UNESWA student
Swati Newsweek 19 May, 2022, By Eugene Dube
MATSAPHA - Melusi Dlamini (29) an engineering
student who is doing his final year at University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni
Campus, is lucky to be alive after he was kidnapped and tortured in the forest
by King Mswati III’s soldiers.
“I live outside the Campus. I went to Kwaluseni to
write a test which was to start at 10am. However, upon my arrival I was told by
other students that our test has been cancelled as there was an ongoing strike.”
“In no time soldiers who were in a lorry came from
the Engabezweni direction, they alighted and just pointed guns at us. Students
were all shocked and ran away. The other students ran into the nearby houses. I
saw dogs from the nearby houses and I was scared to go there. As a result I
kept on running and tried to hide into a field. However, the soldiers saw me,
came and assaulted me all over the body with a stick, open hands and rolled me
on the ground.”
“The soldiers kicked me, and I got injured on the
neck as another soldier put his foot on my neck, throttling the life out of me.
I saw my life hanging in the balance when the soldiers threatened to shoot me.
How I escape I couldn’t tell as I remember running away as I realized that they
were on a mission to kill me.”
“I was tortured in a forest outside the university
where there are no homesteads. I later crawled to another home where an elderly
welcomed me.” He said in a sombre mood and when you look in his eyes you could
see the painful ordeal he had experienced at the hands of deranged soldiers.
Dlamini’s father is a soldier too which may
complicate his trauma and healing process as seeing his father would torment
his mind.
Colane Maseko, a students’ president has been also
tortured by the Swazi royal army. He remains in a critical condition.
Prior to these attacks students in local tertiary
institutions have been complaining to the government about their unpaid allow.
The Mswati regime refused to address their issues but responded with brutality.
The lingering question is, what is the significance
of the army or police force if they would brutalise, torture, shoot at, kill
and imprison the people they ought to protect for wanting a just and a
democratic governance or their mandate as a force is to protect the capitalists
and monarchy while they enslave, impoverish the people inclusive of the very
same army and police and their families?
People
should be free to be who they are or choose to love, says EU Ambassador
European
Union Press and information team of the Delegation to Eswatini, 17 May 2022
Everybody should be free to be as they are and love
who they choose! No one should be discriminated against on the basis of their
sexual orientation and gender identity. Human rights are for ALL!
On 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia,
Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), the European Union (EU) reaffirms its strong
commitment to respect and protect the full and equal enjoyment of the human and
fundamental rights of all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex (LGBTI) people. As an expression of this commitment, the EU Delegation
to the Kingdom of Eswatini hoisted the rainbow flag alongside the EU flag in
front of its premises in Mbabane.
Solidarity, diversity, equal rights: these words are
key today and we draw the attention of government, policymakers, religious
leaders, social movements, the general public and the media to the violence and
discrimination that LGBTI people still face in many parts of the world,
including Eswatini. Conflicts such as Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war
against Ukraine have a severe impact on members of the LGBTI community who are
targeted by Kremlin’s heinous disinformation campaigns.
The EU leads by example, showing solidarity locally
and abiding by our commitments internationally. According to the LGBTIQ+
Danger Index, six out of ten world’s safest countries for the LGBTI people are
EU Member States. We are working hard to advance the rights of the LGBTI people
globally. The EU supports the “Out & Proud: LGBTIQ+ Equality
and Rights in Southern Africa Project” aiming at improving the
legislative frameworks and non-discriminatory environment in favour of LGBTI
people in Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The project seeks to strengthen
the capacities of and opportunities for LGBTI Human Rights Defenders and their
organisations to defend, advocate and promote their rights and fight
discrimination.
In this European Year of Youth, the EU stands with
young people who face intolerance, harassment and rejection both online and
offline due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. Young people need
to be valued and accepted for who they are!
“Today (17 May 2022), I received a
delegation of representatives of the LGBTI community in Eswatini. The
Rock of Hope, the Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities, Health Plus 4Men
Eswatini, House of Our Pride, Men Without Borders have been at the forefront of
the struggle for equal rights. Freedom of association is a constitutional
right, in Eswatini as well as in the EU, and the LGBTI people should enjoy
it freely, alongside all the other citizens,”
said EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Dessislava Choumelova.
Swaziland Eswatini police break up pro-democracy
protest
AFP, 14 May 2022
Eswatini police Friday fired teargas and rubber bullets to break up a
pro-democracy protest to mark the first anniversary of the gruesome killing of
a student activist. Thabani Nkomonye’s mutilated body was found one year ago, a
death fellow students blame on police. Outrage among students sparked deadly
protests against King Mswati III, the last absolute monarch in Africa.
About 2,000 protesters marched through the commercial hub Manzini, but
police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse them. “We have no choice.
Now it is clear that Mswati will not give us freedom on a silver platter,” said
one protester who declined to be named. The protest was organised by the
national students’ union. The activists eventually dispersed. At least four
were hit by rubber bullets, while one teargas cannister landed in a primary
school as children were still in class, the union said. No one has been charged
over Nkomonye’s death, and a special inquiry last week cleared police of
wrongdoing. His body was left in a field, with both eyes gouged out, and three
major punctures in his body. Police say he died in a car crash.
“Thabani must get justice even in his death. As youth we have
responsibility to continue this struggle in his honour to liberate (the) youth
of this country,” student union leader Colani Maseko said. In Eswatini,
formerly known as Swaziland, political parties are banned, and elections take
place in a convoluted system that ensures Mswati faces no meaningful dissent.
SWALIMO does not support tinkhundla 2023 elections - Gaw'zela
By Mzwandile Shongwe, Breaking News 82 eSwatini, 14 May 2022
Mbabane: Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO)
President Mduduzi Gaw'zela Simelane has come out to clarify that they are not
supporting Tinkhundla system of governance in the struggle.
“As SWALIMO we want elections with the interest of
the masses, which is a multiparty democracy ", lucidly explained Gaw’zela.
Hon G said: “By saying we need at least 40 Members
of Parliament(MPs) from SWALIMO, we actually mean that when all has failed, we
have alternative strategies set in place to continue the course we've started
with Bacede and Mthandeni.”
We need more people to collapse the regime system
inside parliament.
It is not about SWALIMO but for all emaswati.
“SWALIMO have platforms and programmes set in place
to suffocate that 2023 elections, in case our struggle for democracy does not
come by,” added Simelane.
UNESWA closed amid violent protests
By
Kwanele Sibiya, eSwatini Observer, 19 May 2022
With each passing day, the University of Eswatini seems to be plunged
into chaos and disorder as the institution grapples with the issue of payment
of student allowances and more recently, the writing of the final examination.
Given the recent developments surrounding the payment of allowances and
the university’s insistence that examinations will go ahead next week, it was a
matter of time before the institution was forced to close.
Once again, students instigated violent protests on Monday night over
unpaid allowances, students’ refunds, the administration’s refusal to postpone
the examinations scheduled to commence on Monday as well as the deteriorating
security measures at the university.
A decision was taken to close the university with immediate effect
yesterday with Senate announcing early in the morning that all three campuses
were closed until further notice.
The closure of the university was communicated by the Registrar, Dr
Salebona Simelane, through a memorandum issued yesterday.
Vacate
“The senate resolved at its special meeting that the university should
be closed until further notice and students should vacate their residence,”
read the memorandum.
The senate meeting was held yesterday morning and the students were
informed to vacate the campuses by 10:30am.
The protest at the Kwaluseni campus started at around 9pm on Monday when
a group of students forced those who were studying for the upcoming examinations
out of class.
Thereafter, they are said to have proceeded to the main road situated
adjacent the university, where they blocked the flow of traffic by burning
tyres in the middle of the road and placing debris such as stones and logs
across the road.
This is said to have left motorists with no choice but to contact the
police, who promptly responded to the call.
Upon arrival at the scene, the police reportedly fired tear gas
canisters and rubber bullets in an effort to disperse the students.
Emerged
The students reportedly ran helter-skelter, while a majority of them ran
for cover in their dormitories.
After a while, the students are said to have emerged from their hiding
places and began vandalising property.
They are reported to have first forced entry into the warden’s office,
where they broke the door and a window as well as and ransacked the office.
The students are also said to have forced entry into the book shop,
where they did not only ransack the place, but also allegedly stole an undisclosed
number of items, including laptops and bags.
According to the sources, after realising that the situation was
seemingly getting out of hand, police allegedly roped in members of the Umbutfo
Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), who also reported to the scene.
Lasted
The chaos, however, lasted until yesterday morning as the students were
uncontrollable during the course of the night.
While the chaos was ongoing at Kwaluseni campus, the same was said to be
happening at Luyengo and Mbabane campuses, prompting the administration of the
university to announce the immediate closure of the
institution.
At the Luyengo campus, students are reported to have interrupted the
flow of traffic as they burnt logs and tyres along the road and police were
also called to restore order.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer (PICO)
Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that police were deployed at the
university.
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