Swaziland
Newsletter No. 762 – 27 January 2023
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.
Murder of pro-democracy activist prompts outrage
By
Jason Burke in Johannesburg and Phathizwe Zulu in eSwatini, The Guardian (UK), 24 January 2023
Authorities in Eswatini have promised a full investigation of the murder of a
leading pro-democracy activist amid widespread fears that state security
agencies may have been involved.
Thulani Maseko, chairperson
of a coalition of pro-democracy groups, was shot dead at his home in Luyengo,
about 45km from the capital, Mbabane, on Saturday.
The murder has prompted
outrage. The United Nations, European Union, the UK and many human rights organisations in
southern Africa have condemned the murder and called for a thorough
investigation.
“Thulani Maseko was a
stalwart of human rights who, at great risk to himself, spoke up for many who
couldn’t speak up for themselves,” Volker Türk, the UN’s
high commissioner for human rights, said.
“His cold-blooded killing
has deprived Eswatini, southern Africa and the world of a true champion and advocate for peace,
democracy and human rights.”
The tiny state, landlocked
between South Africa and Mozambique, is the last absolute monarchy in Africa
and has been hit by waves of unrest in recent years, prompting successive
crackdowns.
Hours before Maseko’s death,
King Mswati III told a parade at the Engabezweni royal residence that activists
had “started the violence first” and “more trouble was coming for them”.
“People should not shed
tears and complain about mercenaries killing them,” the king said.
Mswati has ruled Eswatini,
formerly known as Swaziland, since 1986 and faced regular allegations of human
rights abuses. Authorities are known to have hired South African private
security companies to train security forces.
Alpheous Nxumalo, a
government spokesperson, denied any involvement of security forces and said
that an investigation was under way.
“We have no doubt the truth
of this matter will be revealed … and the culprits brought to account,” Nxumalo
said.
Maseko, 52, was a leading
figure in the push for Eswatini to transition into a multiparty democracy. He
was imprisoned in 2014 for allegedly criticising the judicial system’s lack of
independence, though acquitted on appeal and released a year later.
Opposition spokesperson
Sikelela Dlamini said “assassins shot [Maseko] through the window while he was
inside [the] house with his family”.
The Swaziland Solidarity
Network, an opposition forum based in South Africa, described the murder as
“the clearest indication of the lengths to which Mswati will go to cling on to
power”.
At the time of his death,
Maseko was working as a lawyer for two people facing trial for offences
allegedly committed during the unrest in 2021, the UN said.
In May 2021, protests by
mainly young people started when a law student was murdered in circumstances
that suggested police involvement. But unrest intensified dramatically when
authorities said they would refuse any further “petitions” to the king, closing
one of the few ways in which complaints and grievances could be expressed in
the kingdom.
The protests that followed
led to a more general breakdown in law and order, with sporadic arson and
looting.
Observers say there are
echoes in Eswatini of protests and violence elsewhere in Africa which have
pitted educated and connected urban youth against longstanding rulers and
elites
The country’s median
age is 21 and unemployment is at
more than 40%. Though the king lives in ostentatious luxury, with a
fleet of luxury cars, private
jets, numerous palaces and 15 wives, almost 60% of his subjects live in
poverty, according to the World Bank. A large royal family also enjoys an opulent lifestyle, and
members have unashamedly posted images of their extravagance on social media.
Though some local-level
representatives are elected, the king effectively choses MPs, controls
parliaments and appoints ministers, analysts say. Dissidents have long been
silenced by a raft of repressive laws, with the largest opposition party, the
People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), banned under terrorism laws.
Other
reports on the assassination of Thulani Maseko
King
Mswati to political activists: Don’t cry about mercenaries killing you, more
trouble is coming (Swaziland News)
http://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=3733
Human rights lawyer
demands govts across SADC act against Thulani Maseko murder (Eyewitness News,
South Africa)
UN rights chief urges 'impartial' probe after eSwatini
killing (AFP)
https://www.trtworld.com/africa/un-rights-chief-urges-impartial-probe-after-eswatini-killing-64785
Leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice for Thulani Maseko’s
unlawful killing (Amnesty International)
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/01/eswatini-leave-no-stone-unturned-in-ensuring-justice/
Who killed Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko? (Daily
Maverick, South Africa)
TUCOSWA
condemns killing, says Maseko was of balanced mind (Times of eSwatini)
http://www.times.co.sz/news/138567-tucoswa-condemns-killing-says-maseko-was-of-balanced-mind.html
Maseko was not a violent person: Govt. spokesperson (eSwatini
Observer)
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=19750
Eswatini
must be suspended from SADC – Botswana National Front (Mmegi, Botswana)
https://www.mmegi.bw/news/eswatini-must-be-suspended-from-sadc-bnf/news
PLUS:
Swazi Media Commentary archive on Thulani
Maseko
https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/search/label/Maseko%20Thulani
King
Mswati ‘bans’ dignified funerals for members of the armed underground forces
fighting his regime
By
Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 25 January, 2023
MBABANE: King Mswati, an absolute Monarch,
has banned all dignified funerals for members of the armed underground forces
fighting his oppressive Government.
Human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko was
assassinated less than forty-eight (48) hours after addressing a press
conference demanding that freedom fighter Mlandvo Khumalo who was allegedly
linked to the underground forces must be buried with human dignity.
Mlandvo Khumalo was allegedly killed by
Mswati’s mercenaries in a joint operation with the army about three weeks ago,
he was accused of attacking the King’s regiments.
National Commissioner William Tsintsibala
Dlamini summoned Khumalo’s family last week and stopped the funeral, the police
boss said he would have to consult with Mswati first if the funeral could be
allowed to proceed.
SNAT Burial (PTY) LTD, a company that
donated a coffin to the family of the freedom fighter was forced to withdraw
the donation, the teachers’ funeral services company was accused of supporting
terrorism.
But on Wednesday morning, the police
seized Mlandvo’s corpse from his family and proceeded to Ngwane Park cemetery
to bury him.
A questionnaire was sent to the National
Commissioner of Police, however, he had not responded to our questions at the
time of compiling this report.
But a family member who spoke to this
Swaziland News on Wednesday morning confirmed that Mlandvo was buried by the
police.
“We are still here at Ngwane Park, police
are burying Mlandvo but they are almost done. They wanted him to be buried
without a coffin after forcing the donor to withdraw the donated coffin but we
tried to buy one,” said the family member.
Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the
People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) said what the King was doing was
an indication that he represented nothing but the misery of the Swazis.
“We have lived with dictators as emaSwati
before, but we have never experienced these levels of dictatorship as we are
experiencing under Mswati. But this will not deter us, if anything, this must
make Swazis realize that Mswati represents nothing, but a misery for our
people. All of us have got to unite in one voice, Mswati must be held to
account for all the atrocities, killings and gross human rights abuses
inflicted on emaSwati,” said the PUDEMO President.
Reached for comments, King’s Spokesperson
Percy Simelane said he was not aware that the King stopped the funeral, he
demanded evidence to support the allegations.
“We are not aware he did. Until evidence
to that effect is shared with us we will continue to doubt he did,” said the
King’s Spokesperson.
Mswati,when addressing his regiments on
Saturday at Engabezweni Palace vowed to deal with those calling for democratic
reforms, dozens have been killed since the political unrest started in June
2021.
Russia's
Lavrov Pledges Security Training to eSwatini
By
AFP, 24 January 2023
Russia’s top diplomat on
Tuesday pledged security training to Eswatini, just days after the brutal murder
of a leading human rights lawyer and opposition politician.
Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov was speaking in the landlocked country, Africa’s last absolute monarchy,
a day after visiting neighbouring South Africa and just two days after Thulani
Maseko was shot.
“Russia is prepared to
assist Eswatini in training of security personnel, improving food production
and also assistance on other issues of mutual cooperation,” Lavrov told
reporters.
Following talks with
Eswatini’s prime minister and other cabinet members, he said 50 Eswatini
security personnel were studying at Russian defence universities.
Responding to a question on
the political crisis in Eswatini, the minister said “as a matter of principle,
we do not interfere with the political situations of any country”.
“We are here to promote our
good relations, to create the best atmosphere for implementation of practical
projects from the ground -- industry, agriculture, information communication
technologies and many other things,” he said.
The weekend killing of
Maseko has sparked worldwide condemnation.
Govt
hires military expert for special missions
Welcome
Dlamini, Times of eSwatini, Sunday, 22 January 2023
MBABANE: A special military unit is now in place to deal with
acts of terrorism.
Government has enlisted the services of a
military consultant to assemble and train a special missions unit to focus
first and foremost on counter terrorism. The special missions unit
comprises of officers from both the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and
the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). Already, it has been reliably
established, the quick response units (which are subsidiaries of the main unit)
that have been put in place in key areas across the country are ready to
diffuse any acts of terror. The units operate from the air and on the
ground simultaneously to hunt down individuals linked to terrorist acts and the
operations reportedly happen even in the thick of the night. Whenever
there are reports of the use of firearms, the special missions unit reportedly
springs into action to cease those weapons and arrest those responsible for
them.
Bastion Security, which is headed by
Military Expert Arno Pienaar, is the company that has been engaged to conduct
the training for the special unit. All along, Bastion has been providing a
fire and risk management function to Montigny Forestry since 2015. Two
highly-placed sources within Montigny and the country’s security cluster
confirmed to the Times SUNDAY that Bastion was formally training a
counter terrorism unit of the State security agencies. The sources said
they were aware that there was another company in South Africa (SA) called
Bastion but there was no link between the two.
“Bastion Security and Bastion Akademie are
not even the least associated with each other. There is just no connection
between the two. Those seeking to link the two have their own ulterior motives
and it’s all a lie. They just want to dent the image of Bastion Security and
the work they are doing in Eswatini,” said one of the sources. The source
within the security cluster said engaging Bastion was done in accordance with
the law as necessary in the provision of services for purposes of national
security. According to the source, this is not the first time that government
enlists a consultant from outside the country to train officers of State
security agencies. Consultants from Russia and Israel have reportedly been
engaged before.
“The only difference is that previously we
were sending the officers to be trained outside the country or the training
happened virtually or outside of actual combat. This time though, it is
on-ground and in-work training; it is a longer programme. They (consultants)
are here to hold the officers’ hands through the process and not sitting
somewhere and conducting the training virtually,” the highly-placed security
cluster source stated.
He said even though Bastion was leading
the training, this was not a one-man show but credit should go to the local
officers for the work they have been doing as part of the special missions
unit. It has been disclosed that the services provided by Bastion also
include expert training on handling a special breed of canines
(dogs). “Every time there is an operation, there are very expensive dogs
which have been brought in from outside the country that are doing a whole new
thing with the police. These dogs are able to sniff out guns from where they
have been hidden,” said the source. It is reported that these dogs were
responsible for sniffing out the gun that was allegedly used in the shooting of
Umbutfo Fanafana Bhembe, while he was at Mahlabatsini on his way to join the
march by Ingatja to cut the lusekwane shrubs. The source further disclosed
that it was this special missions unit that shot dead Mlandvo Khumalo after he had
shot Bhembe about four times in the stomach.
“The consultants are also training
operational units because as emaSwati, we are not used to terrorism and this is
new to us. Whenever there’s something new then you need training as a country.
From a terrorism point of view, there is a unit that is focusing on tracking
those who are responsible for such acts in the country. There is a group
that has been brought in to train the army and police on many things such as
intelligence operations, handling social media and, of course, counter
terrorism tactics. We have never been here as a country so we need experts in
this field to actually help us,” said the source. The special missions
unit has been likened to the Delta Force in the United States of America, which
is officially known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st
SFOD-D) and is one of the US special missions units primarily focused on the
counterterrorism mission.
To read more of this report, click
here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/138546-govt-hires-military-expert-for-special-missions.html
Scabies
Outbreak in Swaziland while Mswati expropriates more wealth for his family
Communist
Party of Swaziland statement, 20 January 2023
In the confusion of the emergence of a
probable new variant of the coronavirus, people in Swaziland seem to be
scratching their skin off. Health workers in Swaziland are pointing to a
scabies outbreak in the country that is going on without any intervention.
Swaziland is in the midst of political
unrest as the people continue to demand the democratisation of the country. The
regime is spending more public funds on strengthening itself against the masses
who continue to call for democracy. The regime’s security forces are spread all
over the country, invading communities. Consequently, diseases such as scabies
are on the rise, all without medical intervention. The public health system in
Swaziland has also virtually collapsed as the regime prioritises its own
survival than that of the people.
Scabies is an infestation of the skin by
the mite scacoptes scabiei. Classic scabies typically manifests as intensely
itchy spots. The sides and webs of the face, fingers, wrists, armpits, area around
the nipples and genitals are often affected.
Scabies can cause a serious mental health
problem and affect the quality of life in constant scratching. With that being
the case, it then qualifies scabies to be used as a biological weapon in case
of war.
Apart from mental health being affected,
the constant itching and scratching affects one's productivity as it grows more
and more severe at night and people lose their sleep, and in the long run this
is likely to lead to depression. Nurses have also been affected by the outbreak
since they work closely with patients.
In addition to the fact that treatment for
scabies is currently out of stock and there are few experts in diagnosis and
treatment of the disease, there has not been any research and training of
clinicians about scabies. There have not even been any counter measures like
outreaches and home visits. Instead, professionals are wrongly deployed as the
regime does not want to pay them for their skill.
It appears that the crippled health system
in the country is being used against the poor Swazis to eliminate as much
personnel as possible in protection of the crown.
Given the status that the tinkhundla
system is crippled, any measure is possible for them to take in order to
preserve the monarchy. Over and above that, due to its inherent nature of
prioritising the royal family over the people, the regime is unable to provide
basic services to the people, including healthcare. The Communist Party of
Swaziland continues to mobilise the people of our country to intensify the heat
against the absolute monarchy for democracy now.
Thokozane Kenneth Kunene, General
Secretary.
SWAZI
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