SADC ‘LETS DOWN SWAZI DEMOCRATS’

AIM NEWS (Mozambique)

27 April 2011

SOURCE

Swazi activists disappointed by SADC

Swazi democrats are “very disappointed with SADC (Southern African Development Community)”, for its failure to stand up to Swaziland’s absolute monarch, King Mswati III, declared on Tuesday (26 April 2011) Comfort Mabuza, the national director of the Swazi branch of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa).

Mabuza and the Executive Director of the Swazi Co-ordinating Assembly of NGOs, Emmanuel Ndlangamandla, are in Maputo for contacts with Mozambican civil society and with the embassies of donor nations (since, apart from the United States, no major donor has an embassy in Swaziland).

Interviewed by AIM, Mabuza noted that, unlike the situation in Zimbabwe, when it came to Swaziland, “there is no SADC criticism of the way King Mswati runs the country. Nobody in SADC tells the king to respect human rights”.

“Rather than challenge Mswati, SADC celebrates him. It’s very discouraging”, said Mabuza.

The one bright spot is that the South African government, the ruling African National Congress, and its partners in the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade unions (COSATU), are in favour of democratic reform in Swaziland.

When the protests of 12 April were suppressed by the Swazi police, there were signs from South Africa “that there is an interest in making Swaziland aware that it cannot be an island, and needs to be part of the spirit of freedom in Africa”, said Mabuza.

“But Mozambique was quiet”, he lamented. Mabuza was not sure whether this was because the Mozambican authorities were unaware of what was taking place in Swaziland.

He was also critical of the Mozambican government for allowing weapons to be imported to the Swazi regime through Mozambican territory. “Swaziland is not at war”, Mabuza said, “and we would have expected Mozambique not to allow arms of war to pass through to a country which is not at war”.

Ndlangamandla said that Swaziland had been plunged into a deep economic crisis when, last year, its revenue from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) fell by two thirds. The Swazi government, he said, had relied on SACU for 70 per cent of its total revenue.

As a result, all ministries, except for Education and Health, had to cut their budgets by 14 per cent, and 7,000 public sector jobs were lost. These problems contributed to the rise in militancy from the public sector trade unions.

“It is the governance, the political system, that has failed the people”, said Ndlangamandla. “We don’t have an opposition. Parliament takes orders from the government and from the royal palace”.

Political parties were banned in Swaziland in 1973, and still are, despite the adoption of a constitution in 2006. The courts are not independent, added Ndlangamandla, and “the current system is highly controlled by traditional authorities”.

The exact costs of the monarchy are unknown, since “royal expenditure is hidden in the budget”, he said. “We don’t know how much the king earns, or the queen mother, and they don’t pay tax, even though they are business people”.

Mabuza noted that Mswati plans to attend the wedding in London on Friday of British Prince William, grandson of Elizabeth II. How much this trip will cost is also unknown – but the bill, as with all royal trips, will be picked up by the Swazi Foreign Ministry and not by the king himself.

Ndlangamandla noted that even the Finance Ministry admits to high levels of corruption – now believed to be costing Swaziland around 80 million rands (11.9 million US dollars) a month.

Donors were no longer willing to support Swaziland – and donor funds were even drying up for NGOs. The two activists hoped to persuade donors to change their minds “otherwise Swazi civil society will not function”.

MISA CONDEMNS STATE VIOLENCE

Times of Swaziland

14 April 2011

SOURCE

MISA condemns assault of protesters

MBABANE- The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has condemned the assault of protesters and detention of journalists dur-ing Tuesday’s demonstration.

MISA’s Regional Secretariat and its local Chapter issued a joint statement yesterday condemning the harassment of journalists and violent scenes that erupted during the protest.

The statement is signed by MISA Regional Director, Kaitira Kandjii, and Swaziland National Director, Comfort Mabuza.

"It outrightly condemns the reported arrest and assault of pro-democracy activists, including journalists, in Swaziland during the first day of protests to demand political reform in the country."

The institute said it had learnt from news reports that police not only attacked protesters and detained union leaders but also harassed reporters even stripping them of their equipment.

Furthermore, it said it is aware of the full extent of the police’s assault tactics on protesters, including firing tear gas and using water cannons, and that they "further confiscated equipment of journalists".

"MISA’s Regional Secretariat and its chapter in Swaziland have confirmed the arrest of dozens of activists in Manzini which is the centre of the demonstrations that were called to mark the 38th anniversary of the banning of political parties. MISA Swaziland also confirmed reports of assault, brief detention and confiscation of equipment of local and international journalists. MISA Swaziland is also in the process of confirming news reports of alleged arrests of some journalists," it stated.

Following what culminated during the march MISA has called upon government to respect the public’s right to stage "peaceful protests".

MISA put it to government that is has developed a track record of silencing dissidents justifiably seeking democracy.

This, it said will in no way deter pro-democracy activists.

"MISA and its members throughout Southern Africa believe that the people of Swaziland　have the　right　to　freedom of organisation and　expression, and that the right　to peaceful　protest　should be upheld. We express our solidarity and support to the activists and journalists in Swaziland to claim their basic human rights to self-expression and association as they seek to create an equitable and just society," said MISA.

It added that deprivation of such rights amounts to "a gross violation of the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work" and "infringement of Article 25 of the Swazi Constitution".

CPJ ATTACKS ‘DEATH THREAT’ PRINCE

World opinion continues to turn against King Mswati III’s regime.

The latest organisation to condemn the lack of press freedom in Swaziland is the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) which yesterday (26 July 2010) attacked Prince Mahlaba, the brother of King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, for threatening with death journalists who reported critically about Swaziland’s ruling elite.

CPJ has rallied behind the media in Swaziland, most of which is either state-controlled or in effect owned by King Mswati.

CPJ reported Mbongeni Mbingo, managing editor of the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, saying the threats were ‘dangerous’ and could not be taken lightly since the prince was a member of a highly influential royal advisory council, Liqoqo (also known as the Swaziland National Council – SNC).

Comfort Mabuza, the National Director of the Swaziland chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa condemned the threats and feared they could incite the public against the journalists. ‘We are in big trouble because his view may be representing that of SNC, which advises the king,’ Mabuza told CPJ. ‘The council is yet to call him to order and we are really concerned about their continued silence.’

CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita said, ‘The government of Swaziland must immediately reject the death threats against journalists by a leading member of the ruling family,” said. “We call on the government to issue a clear and unequivocal statement condemning this murderous outburst and ensuring the international community that Swaziland is committed to the protection of all journalists.’

Prince Mahlaba had told a meeting of the Smart Partnership, ‘I want to warn the media to bury things that have the potential of undermining the country rather than publish all and everything even when such reports are harmful to the country's international image. Journalists who continue to write bad things about the country will die.’

· CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom around the world.

FURY AT NEW SWAZI MEDIA BILL

Even the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, is enraged by the Swazi government’s latest attempt to muzzle the media.

Cabinet has approved a Media Commission Bill that the newspaper says, ‘seeks to regulate or even censor media practitioners if found to have criticised some operations of the state’.

Three cheers for the Observer in voicing its concern, but it is not alone.

Many local media houses feel betrayed because they have been ignored by the government led by Barnabas Dlamini, the illegally-appointed Prime Minister of Swaziland. Dlamini has a long history as an enemy of freedom.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa – Swaziland Chapter (MISA) director Comfort Mabuza called the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, ‘double-faced’ because it had not been honest in negotiations with media houses. The government had said negotiations were continuing even though the Cabinet was set to discuss the final Bill.

Mabuza said the new Media Commission Bill was similar to oppressive laws of the former apartheid regime in South Africa, ‘where publications were closed at whim and such would draw the eyes of the international community to the country unnecessarily’.

The Secretary of the Swaziland Editors' Forum Jabu Matsebula also expressed his dismay over the move.

‘This is nothing but censorship. That journalists must have licences before they could practice is a flagrant disrespect of democratic norms. If they give you the licence, what can stop them from revoking it if you criticise certain actions of the status quo?’ he said.