Swazi Media Commentary: Swaziland Human Rights Network UK

Showing posts with label Swaziland Human Rights Network UK. Show all posts

Saturday, 25 May 2019

Swaziland police force schoolchildren back to classes after boycott supporting suspended teachers

Police were called when pupils at Mhubhe High School in Swaziland / eSwatini boycotted classes in support of two of their teachers who had been suspended from duty.

The pupils at the school in Ngulwini gathered around the school yard, singing and chanting for about four hours. The Times of Swaziland reported on Friday (24 May 2019), they were ‘demanding that the suspended teachers at the school be brought back to resume their duties’.

The two suspended teachers are Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) President Mbongwa Dlamini and John Hoffman, who is also a union activist.

SNAT has accused the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) of an attack on the union for suspending Dlamini who is accused of absenteeism from school.

SNAT said in a statement, , 'Chief amongst these charges is becoming a union leader and participating in legitimate trade union activities.’

There have been disturbances at the school in recent weeks after pupils demonstrated against some teachers who they said were sexually abusing them. Police fired rubber bullets and teargas at the pupils.

Six pupils were later charged with theft and destruction of property. They were denied bail and remanded in custody. An online petition organised by Swaziland Human Rights Network UK called for their release on bail. The pupils were later released on bail.

Teachers boycotted classes for two days because they felt insulted to be accused of sexual misconduct. They returned to work on the instruction of MoET.

Thursday, 28 June 2018

POLICE SPOKESPERSON CONDEMNS LGBTI

The chief police spokesperson in Swaziland / Eswatini Superintendent Khulani Mamba has said that LGBTI people will not be tolerated in the kingdom and should not be given a platform.

He said, ‘We say no to homosexuality, this country will not tolerate the LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex] community,’ the Times of Swaziland reported on Wednesday (26 June 2018).

His comments came after the Swaziland Police gave permission for the first-ever LGBTI Pride event to take place in the kingdom on Saturday (30 June 2018).

Mamba made his comments from the pulpit in Ezulwini during annual prayer services on Sunday, the Times reported. It described Mamba as a ‘prophet’. It added he spoke in a personal capacity and not as a police superintendent.

Meanwhile, the Swazi Observer is standing by its report that contained hate speech, despite criticism. Over the past week it and its companion newspaper the Sunday Observer have published three prominent articles that called LGBTI people ‘a curse’ and ‘evil’ and likening them to child sex molesters and people who had sex with animals.

The articles broke Article 13 of the Swaziland National Association of Journalists code of conduct which states, ‘Hate speech: ‘Journalists shall avoid by all means the publication of speech that might promote hatred, spite and conflict amongst the Swazi or any other nation.’

After the first article appeared on Thursday (21 June 2018) the Swaziland Human Rights Network UK condemned it saying, ‘the spirit and text of the article is homophobic and divisive and goes against the basics of journalistic ethics of accuracy and fair reporting. The article makes a false equivalence between the gay and lesbian community and paedophilia, bestiality and rape’.

In a statement published on its website it said, ‘The falsehoods raised in this article are not only homophobic but also indicative of a particularly desperate and divisive anti-gay and lesbian agenda by the Swazi Observer.’

Later, Goodwill Mathonsi the group’s coordinator wrote an email of complaint to the Observer editor Thulani Thwala saying it had broken four articles in the code of ethics, including hate speech.

Hate speech is a type of speech or writing which can do any of the following: deliberately offend, degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on their race, ethnicity, profession, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. It can be aimed at an individual; or racial, ethnic, religious or other group. Such speech generally seeks to condemn or dehumanize the individual or group; or express anger, hatred, violence or contempt toward them.

In his response, Thwala did not address the matter of hate speech. He wrote, ‘Rule number one of journalism to balance views was achieved. Since we live in a free country it is every person’s right to frown upon anything.’

He wrote, ‘I am certain you are aware that we cannot force people to see things the way we do no matter the circumstances. I cannot guarantee special treatment for any groupings.’

Swazi Media Commentary also sent an email of complaint to the editor of the Swazi Observer but received no reply.

The Observer does give special attention to one group: the monarchy. It is in effect owned by King Mswati III who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. In a report on press freedom in the kingdom the Media Institute of Southern Africa called the Observer a ‘pure propaganda machine for the royal family’.

In January 2011 Alec Lushaba who today is editor of the Observer on Saturday wrote in the Weekend Observer about the newspaper’s values. He said, ‘We commit ourselves into respecting and observing the institution of the Monarchy by ensuring that all publications with regard to Their Majesties are factually, culturally and traditionally correct. The sensitivity of the institutions demands that all facts be checked or verified with the traditional structures and/or have been in direct consultation with Their Majesties.’

Sunday, 17 June 2018

CHORUS AGAINST SWAZI ELECTION GROWS

Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) has joined the growing chorus of international observers to declare elections in Swaziland / Eswatini undemocratic.

King Mswati III rules the kingdom as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and political parties are banned from taking part and many political activists are labelled ‘terrorists’ under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Sunit Bagree, Senior Campaigns Officer at ACTSA, writing on the Swaziland Human Rights Network UK website, said, ‘Local chiefs - who report to Mswati III - have enormous influence over elections to the House of Assembly, and the King directly appoints two-thirds of the Senate. Moreover, the King appoints the Prime Minister and he can veto legislation. If anyone criticises the King then they are breaking the law.’

Bagree wrote, ‘It is therefore unsurprising that the 2013 national elections were condemned by international observers. For example, the Commonwealth Observer Mission recommended that the constitution should be revisited “through a fully inclusive, consultative process with all Swazi political organisations and civil society to harmonise provisions which are in conflict … to ensure that Swaziland’s commitment to political pluralism is unequivocal”.

‘Similarly, the European Union (EU) Election Experts Mission highlighted numerous breaches of Swaziland’s international obligations and identified a “fundamental problem [with] the system of government and the respect for the principles of separation of power, rule of law and independence of the judiciary”’.

Bagree called on the Commonwealth and the European Union to do more to bring attention to Swaziland and to be more critical of the absolute monarch, King Mswati.

He wrote, ‘Incredibly, the EU’s Ambassador to Swaziland, Esmeralda Hernandez Aragones, has gone as far as to praise the King’s “wise and strong leadership”’.

Bagree added, ‘Whenever criticised, both the Commonwealth and the EU are quick to point out that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is highly reluctant to take action on Swaziland. It is true that SADC has failed to hold Swaziland to account for its violations of the SADC Treaty. Indeed, Swaziland’s absolute monarch was actually the Chairperson of SADC for one year from August 2016, during which time he even had the gall to urge the regional organisation’s leaders “to remain committed to the ideals and principles of the SADC Treaty”’.

Bagree wrote, ‘Is simply not enough to note that elections in Swaziland are flawed. The international community must apply strong, consistent and public pressure on Mswati III using a variety of diplomatic and economic levers. Only then will the King accept the need to work with all Swazis, including his political opponents, so that the country develops a democratic constitution and becomes governed by those who are properly elected and truly accountable. And only then will the citizens of Swaziland have a government that is committed to rights, equality and development for all.’

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