SWAZI MINISTER UNDER NEW ATTACK

Swaziland’s Foreign Minister Lutfo Dlamini is under a new attack after making accusations against a top UK diplomat.

Dlamini was roundly criticised last week for condemning Maurice Parker, the US Ambassador to Swaziland who had spoken out on behalf of Swazi pressure groups who were advocating for democracy.

Now Dlamini has upset the British after he said the Deputy High Commissioner Mark Norton was in league with terrorists in Swaziland.

Dlamini claimed that Norton had been spotted at night distributing suspicious material to political activists at the Jubilee Park in Manzini.

Dlamini told a press conference that Norton was no longer a ‘diplomat’ but was instead a ‘progressive’.

Dlamini offered no evidence to support his claim.

Norton angered the Swaziland Government in November 2008 when he tried to visit Mario Masuku, the president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) who is held in the Matsapha Maximum Security Prison where he awaits trial on terrorism charges.

Now the British High Commission has dismissed Dlamini’s allegations of supporting terrorist groups as unfounded. But it said it had met opposition groups such as PUDEMO and would continue to do so.

The past week has come as a bit of a shock for Dlamini and other supporters of the undemocratic regime in Swaziland. Following the inaugural speech of US President Barak Obama last Tuesday (20 January 2009) in which he said that those who ‘cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history’.

Although the President didn’t mention Swaziland specifically, his words have been widely interrupted to mean that undemocratic states such as Swaziland will not receive support from the US in future unless they mend their ways.

Ambassador Parker immediately stated that his embassy would support groups in Swaziland that were working towards securing democracy in the kingdom, which has sub-Saharan Africa’s last remaining absolute monarch.

Meanwhile, the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) has added its voice to condemn Dlamini for his attack on the US Ambassador. ‘The outburst by the Minister of Foreign Affairs shows how the ruling party is fearful of change and the truth,’ it said in a statement.

It went on to say having ambassadors of Parker’s calibre in Swaziland was of great benefit to the ordinary Swazi.

It also said there were few diplomats who stood for the interest of the people when dealing with an iron fist state.

It seems to me that the pendulum has swung towards the democrats and Swazi ruling elite hasn’t been able to stop this. Its only response so far has been to deny that there is a problem and to try to discredit the senior foreign diplomats who speak out for freedom.

DIPLOMAT DENIED ACCESS TO MASUKU

The British Deputy High Commissioner to Swaziland Mark Norton was yesterday denied permission to meet Mario Masuku, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) at the Matsapha Maximum Security Prison.

Norton said he wanted to find out for himself the facts behind Masuku’s arrest and subsequent remand in custody awaiting trial.

He told the Times Sunday today (23 November 2008) he wanted to get Masuku’s side of the story after Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini had given his side of the story at a luncheon he hosted for diplomats on Friday.

Masuku was arrested last Saturday and charged with making public statements in support of terrorism. This was one day after the Swazi Prime Minister branded four political entities (including PUDEMO) as ‘terrorist’ organisations under the Suppression of Terrorism Act 2008.

Norton wanted to find out whether or not the Swazi Government used the Suppression of Terrorism Act against Masuku reasonably.

Norton told the Times Sunday, ‘As a diplomat, my job is to inform myself of the facts and I wanted an account from PUDEMO; since PUDEMO has been prescribed, I cannot talk to them without breaking the Swazi laws. I, therefore, decided to talk to Mario Masuku to hear his side of the story.’

He added, ‘I went to Matsapha Maximum Prison this morning (Saturday), I introduced myself as the British Deputy High Commissioner and I asked to see Mario Masuku.

‘I was shown a notice which states that in the case of King versus Mario Masuku, the authorities would strictly enforce Section 16 (6) (b) of the 2005 Constitution, which suggests that only Mario’s next of kin, legal representatives and doctor have the right to see him.’

Norton said he believed that any other person could see him at the discretion of the Chief Prison Officer. He asked the Chief Prison Officer to exercise his discretion and allow him to see Masuku but he refused to do so.

Norton told the newspaper, ‘I need to establish the fact over Mario’s arrest in order to come to a view on whether the government is applying the new terrorist legislation reasonably. Since that legislation (prescription) was used against Mario within 24 hours of enactment and since I have been denied permission to talk to Mario, I have yet to form a view on whether the government acted reasonably or not.’

He said he was not pleased with the manner he was being treated because he was doing his job as a diplomat authorised to represent the UK’s interests.

Correctional Services Public Relations Officer Nomkhosi Maseko said in such sensitive matters that attracted global attention and lots of people in the kingdom, the prison officers exercised caution, strictly selective in requests for seeing Masuku.

She said their intention was not to harass the diplomat but wanted to ensure Masuku received maximum protection. Maseko said they were duty-bound to safeguard Masuku because they were too many people who wanted to see him.