Swaziland Newsletter No. 788 – 4
August 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.
The
country is going in the wrong direction: eSwatini majority unhappy with
monarchy, survey finds
By Lenin Ndebele, News 24
(South Africa), 1 August 2023
An Afrobarometer survey has
found that many citizens of Eswatini are unhappy with the standard of living in
the last absolute monarchy in Africa.
According to the survey report,
"overwhelming majorities say the government is performing poorly on key
economic issues".
The overwhelming majority (84%) "say
the country is going in 'the wrong direction', twice as many as in 2018
(42%)".
As such, the report says, while the
Covid-19 pandemic and civil unrest since June 2021 characterised the outgoing
government's five-year term, amid growing calls for King Mswati III to
abdicate, the incoming leadership will carry the challenges of the past.
These challenges were reflected in an
opinion poll that said public approval ratings plummeted for the government's
performance on managing the economy, improving the living standards of the
poor, creating jobs, narrowing the gap between rich and poor; and keeping
prices stable.
Last month, the king dissolved the
government in preparation for the tinkhundla elections that are set for 29
September.
Tinkhundla is a form of governance based
on traditional administrative subdivisions.
Eswatini has 59 tinkhundla in its four
districts – Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini and Shiselweni.
The tinkhundla have 336 chiefdoms
(umphakatsi) under them.
According to the Eswatini
Elections and Boundaries Commission,
583 680 registered voters out of a 1.2 million population will cast their vote
at 664 polling stations.
Political parties are banned and individuals
linked to political parties are not allowed to stand for election.
As such, pro-democracy groups have for
years called for the disbandment of the monarchy.
In December 2022,
civil society and opposition parties in Eswatini met in South Africa to discuss
and adopt a strategy aimed at achieving the abdication of King Mswati III and
turning the monarchy into a democracy.
The Mass Democratic Movement, under the
Swaziland Multi-Stakeholder Forum, adopted the eBundu Declaration at a two-day
gathering in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Named after the lodge where the meeting
was held, the declaration was aimed at making "resolutions on important
political issues affecting our country, Swaziland".
However, a month later, Swaziland
Multi-Stakeholder Forum chair Thulani Maseko,
a human rights lawyer, was assassinated in front of his family at his
home. No one has been arrested in a case where the government is widely blamed
but denies any links to the incident.
According to Human Rights Watch,
authorities in Eswatini have failed to address issues linked to the maiming and
killing of pro-democracy activists in the past three years.
eSwatini’s repression is intensifying ahead of the upcoming
elections
Robert Lansing Institute, 26 July 2023
In the nearest future
Eswatini is heading to the polls; the upcoming elections are scheduled for September
29, 2023. However, there is nothing remotely democratic in
prospect. The vote is unlikely to change the political scenery in the
southern African nation of 1.2 million people that has been ruled by King
Mswati III since 1986. The king wields absolute power. Elections in the country
take place in a convoluted system ensuring King Mswati with no policy-changing
dissent.
At least two members of
parliament certainly won’t be running again: Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Bacede
Mabuza were convicted of terrorism and murder in June. Their real crime was to
do what Swazi MPs aren’t supposed to do: during protests for democracy that
broke out in 2021, they dared call for political reform and a constitutional
monarchy.
Dube and Mabuza could
face up to 20 years in jail. While being framed they were beaten and
denied to get medical and legal help. They were found guilty by judges
appointed and controlled by the king. In Eswatini, the judiciary is regularly
used to harass and criminalise those who stand up to Mswati’s power: people
such as trade union leader Sticks Nkambule, subject to contempt of court
charges for his role in organising a stay-at-home strike demanding the
release of Dube and Mabuza. Other activists face terrorism charges.
Although the judiciary
displays a degree of independence in some cases, the king holds ultimate
authority over the appointment and removal of judges, acting on advice from the
Judicial Service Commission (JSC) made up of royal appointees.
In a rare instance of
judicial review that sought to change gender power relations, in 2019 the High
Court of Eswatini ruled in favor of gender equality in civil marriages
regarding property rights in the event of divorce.
As Eswatini’s government
concludes a five-year term marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in
June 2021 (Amnesty international, 2023), economic warning signs are flashing
red. Gross domestic product growth slowed to an estimated 0.4% in 2022, down
from 7.9% in 2021, while unemployment, inequality, and poverty remained stubbornly
high, underpinned by weak job creation in the formal economy (World Bank,
2023).
With national
parliamentary elections (which will usher in the next government) set for 29
September, the latest Afrobarometer survey in Eswatini suggests that the new
government will need to act urgently to improve the quality of life of
Emaswati. Most economic indicators have taken a nosedive since 2018. Large
majorities of citizens say the country is headed in the wrong direction and
describe both the national economy and their personal living conditions as bad.
Increasing numbers went without basic life necessities during the previous
year, and few citizens are optimistic that things will get better anytime soon.
The country is still
ruled by King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, who presides over
Eswatini with an iron fist. Mswati dissolved parliament on July 11, he is
confident there’s little chance of people who disagree with him winning
representation.
The election is going
ahead without any constructive dialogue or reform. The chances of
reform-minded potential MPs winning significant representation are slimmer than
ever. To do so, they would have to navigate a two-round process that is
exclusionary by design, with candidates first needing to win approval at the
chiefdom level. No party affiliations are allowed.
In order to seize the
rein, Mswati directly appoints 20 of the 30 upper house
senators and some from the lower house. He also picks the prime minister
and the cabinet, he can veto legislation and remains constitutionally above the
law.
Candidates cannot be
affiliated to any political group under the constitution which emphasises
“individual merit” as the basis for selecting members of parliament and public
officials.
It’s a system that
serves merely to fulfil a kingly fantasy of consultation and pretend to the
world that Eswatini is a democratic country. Official results of the two
previous elections were never published, but it is little wonder than turnout
in this electoral farce has been reportedly low.
The evidence suggests
that repression is extremely intensifying ahead of the voting. The king
has imported South African mercenaries – described as security experts – to
help enforce his reign of terror. Moreover, there are reports of
a hit potential assassinations’ list. Lawyers who might defend the rights of
criminalised activists and protesters report coming under increasing
threat.
This is an edited extract, to read the
full report click here
See also
Referendum question on ballot paper
http://www.times.co.sz/feature/141255-referendum-question-on-ballot-paper.html
Residents
picket at Pigg’s Peak hospital over drugs shortage
By Joseph Zulu, Times of eSwatini, 29 July 2023
MBABANE: Barely a week
after patients at the Mbabane Government Hospital protested over lack of drugs
and poor service, residents of Pigg’s Peak petitioned the hospital over drug
shortages.
Residents, including some
nurses, who took some time out to join the brief picketing at the entrance to
the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital, complained about the shortage of drugs at
the hospital and also lack of service delivery by the Ministry of
Health. The residents delivered a petition to officials of the hospital,
but before doing so, they also chanted some songs and showed placards with
messages about their demands.
One of the messages read,
‘Phatsa wakho unjovo’ meaning ‘bring your own injection or medication’.
Mzwandile Ntshalintshali, the Secretary of the Pigg’s Peak Branch of the
National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), was also among the
residents. Nondiswa Shiba, who was also among the residents, read out the
petition. Ntshalintshali used the platform to criticise what he referred to as
poor service delivery by the government, adding that the situation was
neglected in the country’s hospitals.
He noted how patients at
the Mbabane Government Hospital had blocked the entrance to the hospital in
protest of poor service delivery. He also noted that over a week ago, they had
also delivered a petition at the Maguga Hospital, which is one of the facilities
used by some of the residents of Pigg’s Peak. He said they had not gone to the
facilities as unions or political organisations, but that they were residents
who used the hospitals too. In the petition, Shiba noted that the health
facilities continued to lack basic health services.
He said the Pigg’s Peak
Government Hospital was ‘besieged’ by the shortage of drugs and other basic
necessities. She said this problem had been going on for a very long time and
that many lives bad been lost in the process. Meanwhile, Dan Dlamini, a
resident who was recently nominated for the position of Bucopho, said he was
disappointed at the number of people who attended the brief protest. He said he
was expecting that there would be many people in attendance because the situation
of the shortage of drugs was affecting everyone.
He said even some of the
people who had indicated that they would attend the day before the action had
not shown up. Meanwhile, in addition to complaints about medication, there
were also concerns of the X-Ray which was not functioning and that sometimes
patients were turned back or referred to other facilities. Medical personnel,
who asked not to be mentioned, said this resulted in patients spending longer
time waiting for assistance and that this caused the hospital to run out of
beds.
Noteworthy, a contingent
of police officers was present to keep watch of the delivering of the petition.
There were more police officers than the people who had arrived to deliver the
petition. Some of the police officers were in civil, while at least 10 of them
including the Station Commander, Superintendent Dino Nzalo, were present.
TUCOSWA
Secretary General Mduduzi Gina: Government received R11billion from SACU, no
drugs in hospitals.
By
Colani Khulekani Maseko, Swaziland News, 31st July, 2023
MANZINI: Mduduzi Gina, the Secretary
General of the Trade Unions Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) says Government is
refusing to purchase drugs despite receiving R11billion from the Southern
African Custom Union (SACU).
Speaking during a press conference held at
the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) offices on Monday amid the ongoing
health crisis, Gina said the SACU receipts should be channelled to ease the
sufferings of the people.
“The citizens of the country are dying
because of negligence of the government. The much celebrated R11 billion SACU
receipts are not channelled to ease the sufferings of the people," said
the TUCOSWA Secretary General.
The press briefing was attended by among
others, Nokuthula Dlamini, the Deputy President of the Swaziland Democratic
Nurses Union (SWADNU), Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) Chairperson
Lucky Dlamini and the newly elected Deputy Chairperson of the MultiStakeholder
Forum (MSF) Bonsile Mamba.
Others include Thamsanqa Hlatswako, the
Political Parties Assembly(PPA) Secretary, Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF)
Youth League President Sihle Ndwandwe and the Swaziland Rural Women Assembly (SRWA)Acting
Secretary Bethu Dlamini.
SUDF in collaboration with SWADNU will be
delivering a petition this coming Wednesday at the Human Rights Commission, in
demand for drugs in public hospitals.
See also
Patients protest: 4 bone specialists
for Mbabane govt hospital
The health crisis
http://www.times.co.sz/feature/141273-the-health-crisis.html
King Mswati’s Mother Indlovukazi to
fly to Singapore for medical treatment amid shortage of drugs in public
hospitals
http://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=4858
Eswatini pro-democracy groups protest
at the Human Rights Commission offices amid shortage of drugs in public
hospitals
http://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=4864
Confirmed:
SALIMO withdraws its membership from the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF)
By
Eugene Dube, Swati Newsweek 2 August, 2023
MBABANE: The popular Swaziland Liberation
Movement (SWALIMO) has withdrawn from the pro-democracy organisation the
Swaziland Multi-stakeholders Forum.
Information obtained from a published
statement is that SWALIMO members have been verbally abused by members of the
MSF which is dominated by PUDEMO members. They were not protected by the MSF
leaders.
A statement from SWALIMO reads, “The
Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) has withdrawn its membership from the
Multi Stakeholder Forum (MSF) with effect from 02 August, 2023.”
“The decision was reached by the
organization based on the Forums’ failure to protect member organizations from
bullying and harassment by certain organizations, on positions agreed at party
level. As such, within the MSF SWALIMO has continuously been criticized and
victimised for its stance on its programs, including its participation in the
National elections. SWALIMO is adamant that it reserves the right to develop
and implement activities and policies as an organization which should not be
misdirected by other parties either within or outside the forum.”
Accordingly, SWALIMO is convinced that the
MSF has failed to be a unifier and to promote political tolerance within its
members and allowed the forum to degenerate into an unnecessary battlefield of
political ideas.
The letter that has been issued by SWALIMO
Secretary General to MSF indicates that, “SWALIMO has noted with grave concern
the continuous humiliation, threats and bullying at MSF meetings and
activities, especially on issues relating to organizational programs of action
meant to counter the regime. Hence, SWALIMO strongly object and refuse to be
bullied, victimised and humiliated by other stakeholders on positions taken as
an autonomous organization as we have also not imposed our strategies on any
stakeholder organisation. As a member organization our expectation of the MSF
is that it must and should work as a unifying centre and seek to create a
conducive environment for all stakeholders to participate in such a forum, an
expectation that the MSF is failing to achieve”.
It is on this note that SWALIMO sees no
future in participating in a forum where it is maligned for the objective
principles it has adopted to challenge the Tinkhudla regime. However, SWALIMO
continues to believe in cooperation and unity with any pro-democracy body that
is willing to pursue a genuine liberation struggle in order to realise freedom
and liberation in our lifetime.
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