Swazi Media Commentary: Swaziland Newsletter No. 783

Friday 30 June 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 783 – 30 June 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 783 – 30 June 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.

Still No Justice for 2021 Violence

Human Rights Watch, 26 June 2023

SOURCE

Eswatini authorities have failed to ensure accountability for the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters by security forces that began two years ago, Human Rights Watch said today. The crackdown led to the deaths of at least 46 people, as well as other serious human rights abuses.

Since pro-democracy demonstrations began in May 2021, the government of Eswatini has intensified its clampdown on dissenting views by arresting government critics on bogus charges, interfering with peaceful assembly, and resisting calls for democratic reforms. It has failed to conduct a transparent, independent, and impartial investigation into the killings and other human rights violations resulting from the security forces’ excessive use of force. Despite repeated calls by Eswatini’s international partners and other actors for rights reforms, the government has made no progress to address the country’s deteriorating human rights record.

“The protests that began two years ago have been seen as the beginning of a tipping point in Eswatini’s governance, human rights and democratic crisis,” said Nomathamsanqa Masiko-Mpaka, South Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to realize that the movement for human rights and justice is not going to go away and that it needs to end its repression.”

The government should release critics detained solely for their expression and peaceful assembly, lift the trumped-up charges against them, and conduct independent and impartial investigations into the attacks against pro-democracy activists, Human Rights Watch said.

On May 17, 2021, students and teachers began protesting the alleged killing by the police of Thabani Nkomonye, a law student at the University of Eswatini. The protests escalated on June 20, when about 500 young people took to the streets in Manzini to demand democratic reforms. In response, the authorities banned all protests and deployed security forces, who shot at protesters indiscriminately with live ammunition.

In July 2021, the authorities arrested two members of parliament, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube on spurious charges of terrorism for allegedly supporting pro-democracy protests and calling for democratic reforms. The government also charged them with two murders.

While in detention, the parliament members have been beaten and denied access to lawyers and medical care, Amnesty International reported. Their trial concluded on January 31, 2023, and on June 1, they were found guilty of all charges against them, including murder and terrorism. Mabuza and Dube, who pleaded not guilty to all counts, face up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date is yet to be announced.

The murder judgment relates to the death of two men, Siphosethu Mntshali and Thando Shongwe who were hit by a car on June 29, 2021, at one of a number of roadblocks around the country where residents were stopping vehicles and demanding money. However, the parliament members were not there or at any of the roadblocks, their attorney said.

The charges were apparently brought because the parliament members supported the June 2021 protests. The conviction was largely based on the concept of dolus eventualis (foreseeability), a judgment that many have questioned as not accurately applying the law. “The judgment is a deliberate failure on her part [Judge Mumcy Dlamini] to understand the concept of murder dolus eventualis,” an Eswatini human rights lawyer said.

On October 20, 2021, police fired live ammunition and teargas into a bus full of people traveling to Mbabane to protest Mabuza and Dube’s incarceration. On January 31, 2022, media reported that security officials beat and kicked a university student, Colani Maseko, as they arrested him while he participated in protests at the University of Eswatini’s Kwaluseni campus, sparking a new wave of protests.

The Eswatini government has failed to ensure a meaningful investigation of the security forces use of excessive force during the protests and the crackdown on democracy activists, or of the killing of a prominent human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist, Thulani Maseko by unidentified men on January 21, 2023, despite repeated calls by Eswatini’s regional and international partners. Political dissent and civic and labor activists are subject to harsh punishment under the Terrorism Act of 2008 and the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938.

On September 29, Eswatini will hold general elections as part of the country’s Tinkundhla constituency system, under which political parties are banned from participating and nearly all individual candidates are loyal to the king and have his support. King Mswati III exercises absolute authority over all branches of national government and controls local governance structures through his influence over traditional leaders.

Political parties have been banned in the country since 1973, but banning political parties does not meet international standards for the conduct of democratic elections. It violates the fundamental right to freedom of association and to participate freely in the government of one’s country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives, as protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

To read more of this report, click here

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/26/eswatini-still-no-justice-2021-violence

African Commission on Human Rights warns Mswati on ongoing extrajudicial killings, calls for constructive engagements to address eSwatini political crisis

By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 28 June, 2023

SOURCE

MBABANE: The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) has adopted Resolution 554, on the current political climate in the Kingdom of eSwatini calling for, among others, the ongoing extrajudicial killings by King Mswati’s security forces and/or mercenaries.

The African Commission Resolution adopted last month, further urges the Government of eSwatini to respect human rights and work towards pursuing avenues for civil discourse and constructive engagement, inclusive of all stakeholders.

“Urges the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini to pursue avenues for civil discourse and constructive engagement, inclusive of all stakeholders, in order to create an enabling political climate for dialogue towards addressing the civil and political unrest in the country.Calls on the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini to refrain from any form of victimization, harassment, intimidation and targeting of human rights defenders, political parties, protesters, pro-democracy leaders and campaigners through the arbitrary use of the police and security forces,” reads the resolution in part.

Reached for comments, King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said he was not aware of any Government position regarding the resolution, he referred comments to the Prime Minister’s office.

“I am not aware of any Government position on the resolution at the moment. Kindly take it up with the Prime Minister's Office,” said the King’s Spokesperson.

Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

The resolution by the African Commission comes amid looming targeted sanctions by the United States (US), more international bodies are condemning and taking a strong position regarding the ongoing violation of human rights in eSwatini.

Housing Ministry pleads for mercy on elections

By Sabelo Majola, Times of eSwatini, 27 June 2023

SOURCE

MBABANE: ‘‘We have become a laughing stock, but it’s not entirely our fault.’’

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Prince Simelane, has pleaded for mercy from the nation with regard to the challenges that the ministry encountered during the Local Government Elections. Following reports that some of the polling stations were marred with drama as they ran out of ballot papers, the minister admitted that they indeed encountered the challenges. Our sister publication, Times SUNDAY, reported that voters in some polling stations such as Fonteyn Social Care and Msunduza Community Hall had to wait for at least five hours due to delayed delivery of ballot papers.

It was reported that while others endured the situation, some voters ended up not exercising their right to vote because they decided to leave. Prince Simelane said the ministry was aware of the difficulties in some of the polling stations and he pleaded with the nation, particularly residents of the areas affected, to forgive them. The minister was addressing the media during a press conference that was held at the ministry’s conference room yesterday. He shared that as much as they had become a laughing stock for failure to execute the elections smoothly, it was not entirely their fault as they procured the ballot papers on time, only to be told by the supplier that they were not readily available. “We had prepared everything on time and the update we got from the supplier was that the ballot papers would be available by 3pm on Friday. However, when we made a follow-up, we were requested to wait again until at least 9pm that evening but the wait lasted the whole night,” he shared.

The minister emphasised that they had done all that they had to do in preparation for the elections, but unfortunately it was not enough to ensure a smooth elections exercise.
The minister further mentioned that the results that were announced by the ministry after the voting exercise were a true reflection. He shared that so far, there were no complaints from the people who contested the elections, but the ministry was not popping the champagne yet as people may come to register their dissatisfaction. “Activities like elections are prone to complaints from the people who contested, but so far, we have not received any complaint. However, it is not to say we do not anticipate receiving them as there might be those that complain of foul play,” he said. It is on record that some candidates who did not make it have been making a hue and cry about what they termed ‘unfair’ elections.

Apart from claiming that certain individuals who were supposed to vote for them failed to do so on the day, due to shortages of ballot papers, they also complained about alleged corrupt elements. These include some candidates transporting voters to the polling station. Prince Simelane forwarded the ministry’s gratitude to all stakeholders who participated in the elections, especially the officers tasked with the administration of the whole exercise for their dedication. The minister also announced that the interim council that was appointed into office would continue to be there as the new elected councillors were still going to be orientated before they commenced their duties.

Unemployment a ticking time bomb - SUPMO

By Nkosingiphile Myeni, eSwatini Observer, 25 June 2023

SOURCE

The frustrations of unemployment are seemingly pushing desperate graduates to look for jobs overseas.

However, government has warned that job seekers must first confirm if the overseas jobs are coordinated under the government.

With the World Bank estimating the unemployment rate at 24.4 per cent in 2022, the desperate graduates like Thembinkosi Thwala (33) of Nsangwini and Simolesihle Mamba (26) purport taking their degrees out of the country.

Thwala graduated with a degree in agriculture engineering from Luyengo campus, University of Eswatini (UNESWA) in 2018.

According to Thwala, he has been unemployed for about four years now.
The closest to getting a job was when he was hired by a construction company that was looking for casuals and it lasted for about three months last year.

Other than that, the job market has been silent, he said, appealing to employers to end his frustration.

“I send applications almost weekly but there is no ‘we regret.’ The only time I had been in a job interview was when I was doing my internship for my programme,” he said.

On the other hand, Mamba who also graduated from the same tertiary institution in 2019 with a degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering said sending applications was a tedious job.

Mamba said he was already enrolled for an online teaching course that looks for teachers in Taiwan.

While he is still familiarising himself with the recruitment process, he said it involves him taking a week-long teaching course on the internet.

This, he said would place him at an advantage because his name would be recommended to job-seeking schools in Taiwan.

Both Mamba and Thwala do not believe that they may not be getting called to job interviews because they were overqualified.

In 2014, Thwala scooped the first prize in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) essay writing competition against others from schools within the 16-membered blog.
Without a job, some germs of the country feel there are no rewards for hoping to get a job and in the process reminisce on the risks associated with human trafficking against a much sounding warning.

Chairperson of the Swaziland Unemployed People’s Movement, Lucky Dlamini, said unemployed graduates had little options as unemployment was catastrophic.

“The issue of the unemployed graduates is a national crisis that needs to be at the top of the government agenda, if we are to stimulate economic growth and change this unemployment catastrophe,” Dlamini said.

He also said challenges with government creating jobs include relevant training and quality education.

Further he said there were glaringly missing programmes for the unemployed youth to empower them to create jobs for themselves, than to be scouting for jobs.

Dlamini was also of the view that mentorship and internships were necessary in job experiences.

To read more of this report, click here

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=20634

Health crisis: bring own bandages to govt hospital

By Mmeli Mkwanazi, Times of eSwatini, 23 June 2023

SOURCE

MBABANE: If injured and in need of medical attention, you will have to bring your own gauze bandage.

This is the current practise at the Mbabane Government Hospital, given the shortage of medical drugs and other supplies, most recently gauze bandages. These are the most common type of bandages used by health institutions, which is a woven strip of material with a telfa absorbent.

This type of bandage has reportedly been out of stock for some weeks now at the Mbabane Government Hospital. Injured and sickly members of the public seeking medical attention that requires the use of bandages at this hospital are reportedly not getting help as they need to purchase these from private pharmacies.

Sihlelelwe Mnisi, a snake-bite victim, who was accompanied by her older sister Temalangeni Dlamini, was turned back at the Mbabane Government Hospital after travelling from Siteki. “We were so devastated when told to return next Thursday. We cannot even afford to buy the gauze bandages, as we assumed the hospital would provide as per the norm. Where will we get the E300 from?” she rhetorically asked.

Another patient, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared that she injured and fractured her leg and when she sought medical assistance, she was referred to pharmacies to purchase a bandage. “I had no choice but to borrow money from my relatives since I’m unemployed just so my leg can heal. The bandages I bought cost me E400, excluding the pills I also had to purchase. If this wasn’t the case, the plaster cast would’ve been removed by now,” she said.

Nolwazi Simelane also alluded to this as she relayed her ordeal. “I have had this plaster cast on me for the whole month now. I came all the way from Hlatikhulu, which costs my parents E200 just to travel to Mbabane Government Hospital, only to find that I also have to purchase my own gauze bandage; money I do not even have. We came all the way to Mbabane with the hope that we would be assisted but this is clearly a countrywide problem as clinics in my area could not assist,” she said.

She further mentioned that the removal of the old bandages was overdue and she could no longer bear another day but had no choice since she could not remove them without purchasing new ones. This, she said, was according to what the doctor advised. When Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi appeared before Parliament yesterday, she said the reason for the medical drugs shortage was due to late procurement of medicines late last year. “It started in the third quarter of the financial year. Delivery of medicines was hampered by the closure of suppliers in South Africa between December and mid-January, with most suppliers only having a month to deliver until mid-February, when government procurement is stopped as the financial year begins to wind down,” she said.

Nkosi mentioned that her ministry had started the process of procurement, which includes the development of procurement plans and submissions to the tender board. “We have successfully negotiated with the tender board, who have granted a three-month extension of last financial year’s contracts for medicines. The three-month extension given ends next week to allow the ministry to pay, as well as procure much needed drugs,” she added.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/140695-health-crisis-bring-own-bandages-to-govt-hospital.html

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Friday 30 June 2023

Swaziland Newsletter No. 783 – 30 June 2023

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