Swaziland Newsletter No. 851 – 1
November 2024
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.
Persecution of
opposition leaders & activists unrelenting, gatherings banned
Civicus, 30
October 2024
Introduction
Since May 2021, Eswatini has
made no meaningful progress in addressing severe human rights violations
against pro-democracy activists, journalists and trade unionists. The African
Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) Resolution 554 which urges democratic reforms in the
kingdom has been effectively silenced and Resolution 569 on protecting civic space has similarly
failed to prompt any substantial action.
Separately, despite global
calls for regional leaders to prioritise Eswatini’s human rights crisis and
pressure the government to repeal these repressive laws and respect fundamental
freedoms during the 44th SADC Summit on 17th August 2024, Eswatini remains
unaccountable, as demonstrated by the exclusion of Eswatini from the SADC Organ Troika’s Agenda
following a request by King Mswati III. This lack of regional accountability
leaves pro-democracy defenders without redress and exacerbates human rights
violations.
Association
Supreme Court
revives repressive sedition provisions
On 13th August 2024, Eswatini’s
Supreme Court overturned a 2016 High Court ruling that had invalidated
several repressive sections of the Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) and the
Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA). The High Court had originally
found that these provisions violated constitutional rights to freedom of
association, expression and assembly. The decision came in response to cases
brought by activists, including the late Thulani Maseko and others who were
charged under these laws for participating in pro-democracy actions.
The Supreme Court’s decision
allows the government to continue using vague terrorism laws to suppress
political opposition and human rights activism. This ruling could further
embolden authorities to intensify their crackdown on dissent. On 15th July
2024, Eswatini pro-democracy lawmakers Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube
received severe prison sentences —25 years for Mabuza and 18 years for Dube—over
charges of “terrorism” and murder connected to the 2021 protests in Eswatini,
Africa’s last absolute monarchy.
Eswatini
authorities target activist’s widow
Tanele Maseko, the widow of
Thulani Maseko who was killed in January 2023, has reportedly been targeted by
the Eswatini government with harassment and surveillance to stop her from
seeking justice and carrying on her husband’s human rights work. On 27th March
2024, as she crossed the Ngwenya Border between South Africa and Eswatini with
her children and a helper, she was detained because officials flagged her passport,
confiscated her phone and informed the police. After being questioned for four
hours, she was released with a follow-up at the Mbabane police station
scheduled, which was later postponed to 2nd April 2024 after her lawyers
intervened. This incident came shortly after the Eswatini Prime Minister
claimed in January 2024 that she was obstructing justice, following her acceptance of a 2023
Magnitsky Human Rights Award on her husband’s behalf.
Amnesty International urged Eswatini authorities to cease harassment and
instead focus on a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into Thulani
Maseko’s murder, holding those responsible accountable.
Opposition leader
allegedly poisoned
Eswatini’s main opposition
leader, Mlungisi Makhanya, President of the People’s United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO), was allegedly poisoned and rushed to a hospital in Pretoria, South
Africa, in critical condition on 24th September 2024.
Makhanya has been a target of
King Mswati’s regime, which has been cracking down on political activists and
human rights defenders. Previously, his alternative home at Malindza was bombed
and destroyed during recent political unrest.The Eswatini government has openly
threatened to apprehend activists hiding in South Africa. This incident follows
the abduction of Thabo Kunene, alleged Commander of the Swaziland International
Solidarity Forces (SISF), and the assassination of human rights lawyer Thulani
Maseko.
ICJ calls on the South African Police Services to conduct
a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into circumstances of Makhanya’s
incapacitation and to bring to justice any persons determined to be responsible
for any criminal conduct related to this incident.
Peaceful Assembly
Crackdown on
public gatherings and political dissent
The government has implemented
increasingly draconian measures to stifle opposition, including bans on public
gatherings and widespread surveillance. Currently, in practice, no public
gatherings are permitted in Eswatini, as confirmed by Eswatini Newsroom. This
ban was reinforced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development by issuing
a warning statement to the public against participating in
or organising unauthorised gatherings due to concerns over potential political
unrest linked to the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO)’s uprising
planned for 17th October 2024. The government cites public safety and security
concerns, requiring individuals to adhere strictly to the Public Order Act No.
12 of 2017 and the Code of Good Practice in Public. This ongoing ban on public
gatherings reflects the government’s broader efforts to stifle political
dissent and prevent the expression of pro-reform sentiments.
Expression
Media restrictions
and government criticism
Media in Eswatini face
severe restrictions, especially when reporting on issues related to the
monarchy or the government. According to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World
2024 Report, eSwatini scored 17 out of 100 . It concluded
that eSwatini was “not free” after receiving a score of one out of forty for
political freedom and sixteen out of sixty for civil rights.
At a breakfast meeting held on
13th September 2024, Times of eSwatini Managing Editor Martin
Dlamini questioned the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as to when
they would arrest those who allegedly stole public funds and caused the health
system to collapse. He accused the ACC of either being ineffective or unwilling
to go after powerful people involved in corruption. In response, Prime Minister
Russel Dlamini dismissed Martin’s questions, accusing the Times of being
too negative about the government and the king and told Martin to “swallow” his
own comments, treating them as just his personal opinions.
Student team
expands impact with water and bridge projects in eSwatini
By Caitlin Hayes, Cornell Chronicle (Cornell
University, US), 29 October 2024
At Matfuntini Primary School
in rural Eswatini, the stream-fed tap water sometimes ran black or brown.
Teachers at the school suspected the water often made their students sick, and
when the stream was dry, they had no water at all.
This summer, six students from
the Cornell Engineering project team Engineers in Action (EIA), alongside a team of masons from Eswatini
and the local community, installed a solar-powered groundwater system and
disinfection system to ensure clean water for the school. They also provided
trainings and a manual so the community can continue maintenance on the system
themselves.
Cornell Engineers in Action,
alongside a team of masons and the local community, piloted the installation of
a solar-powered groundwater system and disinfection system to ensure clean
water for a primary school of 180 students in rural Eswatini.
“It was really cool to see the
impact we’re having, not just in building the project but also transferring
skills,” said Sara Buchta ‘25, an environmental engineering major and the
project manager for Cornell EIA.
Since 2017, Cornell EIA has
worked with communities to build footbridges that connect thousands of people
in Eswatini to schools, medical facilities and markets. Now they’re expanding
their impact with the water sanitation project, piloted for the first time last
summer and supported by the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement,
as well as a more complicated bridge, to be constructed in 2025, that will
reduce manual labor and expand the map of where bridges can be built.
“The mission of the project in
terms of global development and improving access in these rural communities has
stayed the same, but it’s really exciting for us to get to learn even more
technical disciplines and expand our engineering knowledge,” Buchta said. “Everyone’s
had to learn things outside of their discipline – because we believe in the
mission.”
To read more of
this report, click here
Fourteen schools
affected by storm
By Nokuphila Haji And Bongiwe Dlamini, eSwatini
Observer, 30 October 2024
About14 schools have been
affected by the back-to-back storm that hit some parts of the country from
Saturday.
The storm continued until
Monday evening.
So far only three regions had
schools destroyed by the storm. The Hhohho region led with six schools while
Lubombo and Manzini each had four.
National Disaster Management
Agency (NDMA) Director Early Warning and Research Eric Seyama yesterday said on
Monday, some parts of the country experienced harsh winds and damaging
hailstorms which caused yet another destruction.
Seyama said this had a
far-reaching impact, on education and the communities well-being at large.
He said 236 households were
also severely impacted by these back-to-back storms, affecting 1 272 people.
He said over 8 000 power
outages were reported across various regions, highlighting that the storm was
disrupting daily life and access to essential services.
Seyama said many homes
experienced significant damages, with roofs being blown off.
He said hail from the storm
also affected agricultural lands, maize fields and vegetable gardens. He said
this was challenging since these were crucial resources for food security.
Seyama added that in
collaboration with the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society (BRECS), they were
coordinating response interventions to address the immediate needs of those who
were affected.
He said 32 households had
already been supported with relief material which included tarpaulins to
provide temporary shelter.
On that note, acting Principal
Secretary in the ministry of Education and Training Naniki Mnisi said their
teams toured the affected schools with Micro-Projects so as to ascertain the
damage.
NATCOM reveals:
gangs sign secrecy code
By Siboniso Nkambule, Times of eSwatini, 28
October 2024
MBABANE: As police ramp up
efforts to eliminate gangsterism nationwide, investigations have uncovered that
gang activities have shifted into highly-organised crime networks.
These gangs now operate within
tightly-knit cells, designed to be difficult for authorities to
infiltrate. Members are bound by strict oaths of secrecy, sworn not to
reveal the identities of fellow members or the masterminds orchestrating their
operations. This was revealed by the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of
Police, Vusi Manoma Masango, during Mankayane Crime Prevention fund-raising
dinner, which was held last Friday. The dinner was attended by Members of
Parliament (MPs), senior police officers and government officials among others.
A sum of E102 000 was pledged
towards Mankayane crime prevention. The event was aimed at raising funds that
will go towards aiding the Mankayane community police forum with working
equipment, such as handcuffs, whistles, torches, reflector vests and identification
name tags, among other necessities. This will benefit 22 chiefdoms under the
jurisdiction of Mankayane Police Station. Recently, Masango warned about a new
gang, which calls itself ama27. It is said the gang is causing havoc in
communities and has infiltrated a number of schools across the country, and
some pupils have joined it.
The NATCOM raised concern
about the emergent gang; which he said is deadlier than the 26s and
28s. Masango said they got to know about the new gang recently. He said
this calls for everyone to play a role in the fight against gangs in schools.
Masango said this during a house presentation to a Msibi homestead at Sandlane.
Speaking during the dinner, Masango said the country is currently faced with a
new crime phenomenon, which is gangsterism. He said this crime phenomenon has
evolved into coordinated criminal activity, whereby gang members operate in
certain cells, which are hard to penetrate and whose members are sworn into
secrecy, against divulging the identities of fellow members and/or their
handlers/masterminds. According to Masango, these are their children with whom
they live and who grew up right in front of their eyes, yet they have now
become monsters who have created an environment of unease and fear within their
communities.
To read more of
this report, click here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/147775-natcom-reveals-gangs-sign-secrecy-code.html
State security
issues must be handled with utmost political maturity
Opinion by Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News,
27 October, 2024
When defending Prime Minister
Russell Mmiso Dlamini amid tension with junior police officers, Government
Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo said, the cops must not threaten the PM by saying
the delay in the implementation of their salary increment under Phase two (2)
undermines State security.
While the press statement
released by the Government was matured this time and defended the Prime
Minister very well, there’s a misleading paragraph that must be addressed and
clarified in the statement.
Firstly and with due respect,
it is important for the Government Spokesperson and the Prime Minister to
understand the context of State security, it is not about monitoring a
political unrest or protests as others in the corridors of power might conclude.
State security in context, is
ensuring the safety of the country including its citizens and properties while
on the other hand, maintaining law and order, police officers particularly,
junior cops remain the basic resources in this regard.
While I’m not physically
inside eSwatini, I had on numerous occasions, received assistance from the
police after reporting house breaking and theft cases to the police, some of my
properties were recovered.
We may differ on how the
police handle some political cases but the truth is and as the situation
stands, they are trying to work with limited resources and they are financially
broke.
Some State investigators
within the Police Criminal Investigating Department (CID) are using their own
resources including airtime and data to investigate cases, no cars, no
allowance to enable them to buy clothes as some of them are not always in
uniform.
As journalists including
Members of Parliament (MPs), we are advocating for the release of the police
salary increment not because we don’t have grievances against the police, we
may not agree with their modus operandi sometimes but, we cannot disregard the
significance of their job.
The police are correct to warn
that, the delay in releasing their salaries undermines State security, we can’t
have financially broke law enforcement officers and feel secured, some of us we
have properties in the country and if anything happens, we report to police
officers and we trust them for the safety of our properties.
It is important therefore, to
put political differences aside when addressing an issue where all of us, have
a common interest.
In fact, we must develop
political maturity and understand that, regardless of our political ideological
differences, our common interest is the country.
Certain human rights
organizations are taking care of me as a journalist, thats why I’m able to be
productive and write informative articles, if I’m not taken care-of, access to
information would be undermined because instead of writing articles, I will
become frustrated and start thinking about my children’s school fees and food.
Therefore, the police officers
are actually saying, the more this issue delays, the law enforcement agency won’t
be productive and State security would be undermined, a hungry person cannot
think properly and be productive.
But in conclusion, let me
further correct the Government Spokesperson who stated that, the police are not
negotiating in good faith by mentioning that, their plight undermines State
security.
It is wrong to dictate to a
hungry person on how that particular person must express his/her frustration,
this delay is affecting even the police officers’ children.
The issue of Phase two (2) is
no longer an issue worth negotiating but Government agreed to increase salaries
for these officers through a Circular, the PM must just implement a Government
Circular and depending on the availability of funds, make a commitment in
writing when will these monies be released so that, the officers can plan and
secure loans from banks, improve their lives based on that commitment.
I know the pain of being
financially broke with no hope what tomorrow might bring, let us not pretend as
if we don’t know what these police officers are going through.
The MPs who moved and
supported the motion urging the Prime Minister to address this issue, did so
out of love for the country.
We must avoid this tendency of
politicizing a genuine issue that was documented and undermines State security,
there’s a Government Gazette awarding junior police officers their salary
increment and therefore, there’s absolutely no need for negotiations, the Prime
Minister must just release the money.
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