As attention in Swaziland
is diverted towards King Mswati III’s 50th birthday on 19 April 2018, one week earlier marks the 45th
anniversary of the date the kingdom stopped being a democracy and became an
absolute monarchy.
On 12 April 1973 King
Sobhuza II proclaimed a Royal Decree after he objected to his subjects electing
members of a political party that was not under his control. He tore up the
kingdom’s constitution that had been in place since Swaziland gained
independence from Britain in 1968. Even though Swaziland adopted a new constitution in 2006, the kingdom, now ruled by King Mswati III,
remains an absolute monarchy.
In his decree King Sobhuza announced, ‘I have assumed supreme power in the Kingdom of Swaziland
and that all Legislative, Executive and Judicial power is vested in
myself.’
He added, ‘The Constitution
is indeed the cause of growing unrest, insecurity, dissatisfaction with the
state of affairs in our country and an impediment to free and progressive
development in all spheres of life.’
He also said, ‘All
political parties and similar bodies that cultivate and bring about
disturbances and ill-feelings within the Nations are hereby dissolved and
prohibited.’
He said, ‘Any person who
forms or attempts or conspires to form a political party or who organises or
participates in any way in any meeting, procession or demonstration in
contravention of this decree shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on
conviction, to imprisonment not exceeding six months.’
Political parties remain
banned and the King choses all members of the government and the judiciary. He
also chooses 10 members of the House of Assembly, allowing his subjects to
select the other 55 members. No members of the Swazi Senate are elected by the
people.
According to the Swaziland
United Democratic Front, one of the more vocal opposition
groups on Swaziland, ‘The decree criminalised political activity, saw the
banning of political parties and the introduction of a system of governance
benefitting a few elites and their cronies; all at the expense of the majority
of Swazi’s who continue to languish in poverty, underdevelopment and perpetual
neglect.’
In 2013, Swaziland’s
Attorney-General Majahenkhaba Dlamini said
there was no need to annul the Royal Decree.
He was reacting to a report in
the Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in Swaziland, that traditionalists stopped the decree being
repealed when Swaziland’s Constitution came into force in 2006. He said the
Constitution in effect annulled the Royal Decree.
According to the Times
Sunday ‘influential
traditionalists’ feared Swaziland ‘could become a republic if this law was repealed’.
The newspaper said
preparations to abandon the Royal Decree in 2005 were far advanced and a
gazette had been drawn up.
The newspaper quoted one of
the traditionalists, Brigadier General Fonono Dube, who was a member of Liqoqo,
an advisory council to the King, saying, ‘There was no way we could have
revoked a law that establishes the country. We couldn’t have allowed the
authorities of the country to annul the decree because that would have turned
the country into a republic. We don’t need a president in Swaziland. We need
the King.’
The Times reported, ‘The argument by the traditionalists to keep the
decree in the statutes was that it was the “heart” of the country and its
repeal was tantamount to killing the whole country, – the whole government machinery,
thus depriving authorities of powers to govern the kingdom.’
The anniversary of the
Royal Decree is marked by pro-democracy advocates in Swaziland. It is usual for
the State police and armed forces to intervene. The Suppression of Terrorism Act 2008 makes it illegal to campaign for democracy.
In 2015, for example, activities
to mark the 12 April anniversary were abandoned amid fears that police would
attack participants. The US-based Solidarity
Center reported, ‘Swaziland’s union movement cancelled a
planned rally over the weekend after concerns the police would break up the
gathering as they have multiple times in the past several weeks. In February
and March, large numbers of police disbanded meetings of the Trade Union
Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), injuring at least one union leader.
‘Two weeks ago, the Swaziland National Association of
Teachers (SNAT) gathered for a prayer service, when a large number of police
showed up and sought to disrupt the event, physically injuring the union’s
secretary general in the process, according to union leaders. Union members
refused to be intimidated and carried on their service, say union leaders,
adding that the government is increasingly prohibiting workers from meeting or
publicly speaking out.’
In 2014, police
illegally abducted prodemocracy leaders and drove them up to
30 kilometres away, and dumped them to prevent them taking part in a meeting
calling for freedom in the kingdom. Police staged roadblocks on all major roads
leading to Swaziland’s main commercial city, Manzini, where protests were to be
held. They also physically blocked halls to prevent meetings taking place. Earlier in the day police had announced on
state radio that meetings would not be allowed to take place.
In April 2013, on the 40th
anniversary of the Royal Decree, armed police and state security forces in
Swaziland broke up a series of events, including meetings, prayers and a rally, which had
been called to debate the political situation in the kingdom.
In 2012,
four days of public protest were planned by trade unions and
other prodemocracy organisations. They were brutally suppressed by police and
state forces and had to be abandoned.
In 2011,
a group using Facebook, called for an uprising to depose the King Mswati III.
State forces took this call seriously and many prodemocracy leaders were
arrested. Police and security forces prevented people from travelling into
towns and cities to take part in demonstrations. Again, the protests were
abandoned.
See also
SWAZILAND STATE ‘TERRORISES’ ITS PEOPLE
SWAZILAND ‘BECOMING MILITARY STATE’
RIOT
POLICE FORCE HALT TO PRAYER
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/riot-police-force-halt-to-prayer.html
