Swaziland
Newsletter No. 755 – 2 December 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.
eSwatini
unrest: Soldiers killed, others injured as Solidarity Forces invade Zibonele
Army Camp at night
By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland
News, 30
November 2022
NTFONJENI: Soldiers were reportedly
killed, others injured as members of the Swaziland International Solidarity
Forces (SISF) invaded Zibonele MfelaNgubu Army Camp in the Northern Hhohho on
Tuesday night.
Reached for comments, the Commander of the
Solidarity Forces confirmed the attack and the killing of King Mswati’s
soldiers.
“We are engaged in an ongoing operation
that is exclusively targeting Mswati’s soldiers, who have been on the streets
the past weeks brutalizing our people in a manner never witnessed before. This
is, over and above that, we have always been aware that the army is among those
who played a very major destructive role in the massacre of our people last
year. Now that we have brought some resemblance or discipline on the police,we
are now on a campaign to do same with soldiers and the OSSU is also on our
horizon. We will continue to attack them with the intention of doing what they
are doing to our civilians, which is killing them,” said the Commander of the
Solidarity Forces.
Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo, the Army
Spokesperson said she was in a meeting and asked this journalist to send a
message.
“Morning Dlamini, I am in a meeting, you
can text,” she said.
A questionnaire was then sent to the Army
Spokesperson, however, she responded briefly, saying the questionnaire has been
noted.
“Your questionnaire is noted,” said the
Army Spokesperson.
Information in our possession suggests that
the Solidarity Forces arrived at around 8pm on Tuesday and began monitoring the
soldiers who were sitting inside a tent.
In an audio recording sent to this
journalist by one of the Solidarity Forces members who was part of the
operation, a hail of bullets were subsequently fired at the Army Camp.
Upon firing the hail of bullets at tent,
one of the Solidarity Forces members is heard shouting at the soldiers saying,
“fus….ki, phumani bo-g…(sensitive language withheld)”, the shooting
lasted for about two (2) minutes.
It has been disclosed that there were five
(5) soldiers within the tent.
Even though the Commander of the
Solidarity Forces confirmed that other members of the military died on the
spot, it could not be ascertained if all of them were killed.
Eswatini is in the midst of a political
unrest after King Mswati unleashed his soldiers and the police to shoot and
kill dozens of civilians, merely for demanding democracy.
See also
UEDF, cops confirm Army camp
shootout
http://www.times.co.sz/news/137816-uedf-cops-confirm-army-camp-shootout.html
100 gender-based violence cases reported to RFM one
stop centre
By Phiwase Phungwayo, Times of eSwatini, 29
November 2022
MANZINI: There are about 100 gender-based violence
(GBV) cases reported to the RFM One Stop Centre on a monthly basis.
This was revealed by Eswatini Nazarene Health
Institutions (ENHI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Benjamin Simelane, during a
handover ceremony of furniture by the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse
(SWAGAA), courtesy of PACT, which is a donor. It took place at the One
Stop Centre facility, situated at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital
yesterday. The furniture included desks, chairs, and laptops to the value
of over E500 000. “As far as I can recollect, we received about plus/minus
100 clients (GBV cases) that need help a month. It is a serious problem which
needs to be addressed,” the CEO said. On another note, Simelane said they were
privileged as ENHI to be part of the ceremony. He expressed their full support
of the initiative and mentioned that they were fully aware that GBV was a big
problem in the country.
The CEO also appreciated the Ministry of Health and
all stakeholders for the initiative. He welcomed and invited everyone who
needed the services of the facility. Meanwhile, Ministry of Justice and
Constitutional Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Lindiwe Mbingo, appreciated the
partnership that existed between the two organisations, which could be traced
back to before the establishment of the One Stop Centre. “SWAGAA played a
significant role in the operationalisation of the One Stop Centre through the
provision of dignity packs and counselling services for survivors of
gender-based violence,” Mbingo said. She also said they were appreciative
of the provision of personnel, who assisted in the prosecution as
intermediaries, since they were trained as such, while attached to the One Stop
Centre.
Mbingo alluded to that they were once again receiving
items which had been donated by SWAGAA to the Manzini One Stop Centre. She said
as a ministry, they were short for words to express their sincere appreciation
of the institution’s humble gesture. The PS stated that the items would go a
long way in assisting the One Stop Centre staff to effectively discharge their
mandate of providing support to victims of GBV. “There is no better time
than now to receive such items since we are already in the 16 Days of Activism
Against Gender-Based Violence perpetrated on women and children,” Mbingo said.
She went on to state that she had been reliably
informed by the acting director of public prosecutions that in the past week,
case workers from SWAGAA were trained by prosecutors in court operations.
Mbingo mentioned that this would enable the case workers to understand the
legal framework in the country. “They will also understand how the courts
work so that they can be able to advise the survivors correctly when it comes
to the operations of the courts,” the PS said. Mbingo elaborated that the
ministry hoped the partnership would continue and extend to other facilities
that they had and those which they would open in the near future.
“It is our hope to have one stop centres in all four
regions, including sub regions of this country,” she said. The PS extended
her appreciation to the leadership and staff of PACT and USAID, who were
working in collaboration with SWAGAA on a number of interventions targeting
OVCs, adolescent girls and young women. She mentioned that they valued the
support from all these institutions, moreover their efforts were visible for
all to see. SWAGAA Director Nonhlanhla Dlamini said they had a five-year
project with PACT, which was called Insika Yakusasa. Dlamini said this was
their final year and as they concluded the fourth year, they discovered that
there were some savings made through exchange games. When they considered
possible avenues to direct the funds, Dlamini said they felt there was no
better place than the One Stop Centre.
The director mentioned that they were excited that the
donation happened at a time when the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV was
celebrated. “We are happy that our clients will be seated in comfortable
chairs and the officers use comfortable desks,’’ Dlamini said. She further
encouraged emaSwati who had been victims of GBV to make use of the facility
which had everything under one roof; doctors, counsellors, police officers, as
well as prosecutors. In that way, Dlamini said survivors would not have to move
from one place to another.
eSwatini Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala’s
company Swazi Secrets refusing to pay salaries for employees
By Zweli
Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 28 November, 2022
MPAKA:
Swazi Secrets, a company owned by King Mswati’s mother, Queen Ntombi Tfwala has
been refusing to pay salaries for its employees for the past six (6) months.
Workers
in eSwatini are paid as little as $90.00 (R1500) per-month and despite the
underpayment, some companies particularly those with links to Mswati and his
mother would refuse to pay salaries on time and cannot be successfully taken to
court.
Reached
for comments, Wander Mkhonza, the Secretary General of the Amalgamated Trade
Union Congress of Swaziland (ATUSWA) said as a union, they demand the payment
of the employees’ salaries with immediate effect.
“We don’t understand why Indlovukazi (Queen)
can do this to workers, this is creating a bad precedent, even their so called
investors will refuse to pay salaries because the country’s authorities are
doing it. We demand the payment of the employees’ salaries with immediate
effect,” said the ATUSWA Secretary General.
Efforts were made to reach the Management
of the company proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
Swazi Secrets contacts details proved to
be scarce and the landline was hardly functional.
It has been disclosed that the employees
cannot take the company to court, the Queen and her son King Mswati enjoy
prosecution immunity in eSwatini and as a result, they violate human rights
with impunity.
“We have been working without pay for the
past six (6) months and when we ask about our delayed salaries, we are
threatened with dismissal,” said one of the employees.
Queen Ntombi Tfwala with her son King
Mswati own collective assets worth billions, they accumulated their wealth
through looting public funds.
Like Tibiyo TakaNgwane,Tisuka, Provident
Fund, Pension Fund, Usuthu Timber and the Sugar company, Swazi
Secrets was established and disguised as a project to empower the citizens
particularly women, however, it was subsequently grabbed by royalty for the
benefit of the Queen.
Mswati’s mother was recently exposed after
she established the Swaziland Women Economic Empowerment Trust (SWEET) and
defrauded thousands of women in eSwatini by promising them a better life if
they invest in her Trust Fund.
Govt cracks down on
social media threats
By Kwanele Dhladhla, eSwatini
Observer, 1 December 2022
Masuku said following disturbing and
highly misleading information such as the death of members of the Umbutfo
Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) after an attack by unknown men at Zibonele Army
Camp, which he described as blatant lies, government had been prompted to
invoke laws to protect the nation.
He said such laws included the Computer
Crime and Cybercrime Act of 2022, which criminalises offences committed through
the usage of computer systems and electronic communication networks.
“People who bully others, commit cyber
terrorism, propagate hate speech, perpetrate and spread lies, incite others to
kill for money and intimidate others should be aware that this Act is alive and
has extra-territorial jurisdiction and therefore when caught, they will face
justice anywhere,” said Masuku during a press conference convened at Cabinet
offices yesterday.
The DPM went on to advise anyone who
perpetrates criminal acts by transmitting various material in the form of
videos, audios or text messages that such acts remain punishable in terms of
existing legislation.
Masuku pointed out that the Act also talks
to extradition of those who commit such crimes in the comfort of another State.
“We further note that these terrorist acts
are sponsored both internally and externally through dubious cash transactions.
We want to remind the nation that money laundering and financing of terrorism
is a serious crime, with serious consequences,” he said.
In light of the financing of terrorist
acts, he said they would continue to enforce The Money Laundering and Financing
of Terrorism Prevention Act 2016.
When asked whether there were any on-going investigations to the alleged
financing of terrorist activities in the country, Masuku said issues of
national security and intelligence would not be discussed in the public
domain.
He further urged the nation to avoid
participating in terror crimes to protect themselves, their families and
everyone who resides in the kingdom. He acknowledged that the violent situation
had created a lot of fear and uncertainty.
The DPM said it was no doubt that the
on-going killing of innocent citizens, including security personnel and arson
attacks on public and private property, compromised national security. He
emphasised that as a country, it would be inappropriate to live under a
situation of threats, intimidation, and lawlessness.
“Let us together uphold law and order
because this is the fundamental tenet of democracy and socio-economic
development. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to
make this country a safe space for everyone. We can only win if we unite and
stand as one against the perpetrators of violence and terrorism in the
country,” Masuku emphasised.
The deputy premier assured the nation that
government would continue to work hard to defeat all elements of terrorism and
make the country a safe and peaceful place to live in.
The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and the UEDF recently warned the
nation against posting sensitive and misleading information on social media,
which instigates terrorism and violence.
The safety and security institutions said
some of the information shared on social media was malicious and designed to
mislead the nation and sow unrest. Both the army and police raised concerns
about the safety of police and soldiers, who they said were at risk of being
attacked as a result of misleading and insensitive information.
National Commissioner of Police (NatCom),
William Dlamini, warned the public to be wary of people who perpetuate their
agenda of entrenching anarchy in the country using social media.
UEDF Public Relations Officer, Lieutenant
Tengetile Khumalo cautioned the nation against misusing social media platforms
to perpetrate violence against some members of the army. Khumalo said this was
through posting inaccurate information such as the identities of the soldiers
presumed to be present during certain operations.
Lobamba
men closed orphanage - no food for over 125 children!
By
Eugene Dube, Swati Newsweek, 1 December, 2022
LOBAMBA: In an incident of patriarchy,
local traditional authority closed a local soup kitchen forcing over 125
orphans to starve.
The overseer Mhlophe Mhlanga, started her
vision years ago feeding the the destitute children in the neighbourhood.
Following the action by the traditional
leadership of the area, the orphans have been subjected to extreme hunger after
the Royal Council allegedly locked up a soup kitchen.
Speculation in the area is that such
efforts by influential members of the Inner Council led by Mabhalane Bhembe, is
to turn the kitchen into a business to generate money for themselves.
The closure of the orphanage happen at
Lobamba Umphakatsi under new Chief Masiphula.
Mhlanga, an overseer of the closed
orphanage has been deeply hurt by this sad event.
"The local men including Mabhalane
Bhembe who is Umphakatsi Secretary closed down the orphanage. The orphans are
now subjected to extreme hunger as the centre has been closed," said
Mhlanga.
It is said that Bonginkhosi Mndzebele and
a certain foreigner were working with Mhlanga at the orphanage in a bid to make
it more efficient. However their relationship collapsed and at the height of
their misunderstanding Mndzebele locked the doors.
Reached for a comment, Lobamba Lomdzala
Royal Kraal Inner Council Secretary Mabhalane Bhembe said he was not aware that
the orphanage was closed.
"I am not aware about the
issue," said Bhembe.
However Vusi Mavuso, the local
constituency developer "Bucopho" confirmed the matter.
Mavuso said,"There was a working
relationship between Mhlanga and a certain white person. They had
misunderstanding hence the soup kitchen was closed.
However, Mndzebele blamed Mhlanga about
the issue.
Speaking to this Swati Newsweek Online
Mndzebele confirmed the dispute.
Mndzebele said, "I reported our
dispute to Umphakatsi who advised to proceed with the feeding program. It did
not go down well with her and she started telling every media house in the land
that we are selling the kitchen to some white people which was all lies."
However information gathered is that the
issue has been reported to the Deputy prime minister Themba Masuku.
A leaked letter reveals that Mhlanga has
been evicted under false pretences. She was told that the centre needed to be
renovated. However it was later given to a white foreigner who intends to make
profit for the cabal and himself.
Seeking comments from Inkhosikati Busisiwe
Magongo she said, this case has not been reported to her.
She said, “I deal with reported issues.
Perhaps the inner council is still addressing this issue.”
However, Mhlanga is not giving up on her
passion. She now cooks for the orphans outside the soup kitchen but does not
cook on rainy days as Mndzebele is still keeping the kitchen keys with himself.
What do you have to hide?
Times of eSwatini editorial comment, 29 November 2022
Last Friday, the media was kicked out of Senate
chambers during a consultative meeting when Senator Moi Moi Masilela started
criticising the Decentralisation Bill that is being proposed by the Ministry of
Tinkhundla Administration and Development.
The minister insisted the media leave the meeting,
despite the chairperson of the proceedings questioning this directive. The
minister had his way and we ask why? What is it about this Bill that the
minister does not want the public to know, particularly if it is intended to
bring government services closer to the people? Just before the media was
kicked out, some of the senators warned the minister to consult extensively as
‘the ministry cannot afford to make the same mistake of passing laws which will
cause more cracks and division in the country’. Precisely, and transparency is
key for such a process.
We need not remind the minister that Parliament has a
responsibility to carry out an oversight role in scrutinising the work of
government and its use of taxpayers’ funds by questioning and probing its
decisions. Likewise, the media plays a watchdog role on the three arms of
government, to keep them in check and see to it that they are executing their
mandates effectively and serving the best interests of the public. When
the media is barred from listening in on a parliamentary debate at the whim of
an individual, the act borders on suppression of information, which is a
violation of media rights and, by extension, a denial of people’s right to
know.
Section 24, subsection 2, of the Constitution clearly
spells out that a person shall not, except with the consent of that person, be
hindered in the enjoyment of freedom of expression, which includes freedom of
the press and other media to (b) receive ideas and information without
hindrance and (c) communicate ideas and information without interference,
whether that information be to the public generally or to any person or class
of persons. The Decentralisation Bill is a piece of draft legislation that, if
passed into law, will impact the lives of emaSwati in one way or another, and
the minister will be using taxpayers’ money to do so.
As it stands, the public has been deprived of some of
the submissions made by the senators, which could be information we all need to
know in order to make an informed decision about what the Bill
proposes. We can find no reason justifying the ejection of the media from
the Senate chambers during this public debate, other than to protect the
minister from harsh criticism or embarrassment. If not, then he should tell the
public all that the senators had to say about this Bill and further apologise
for what clearly seems like bullying the media and the public it serves.
SWAZI
MEDIA COMMENTARY
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