Over the past 18 months, Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) has
received support from UNISON to build
international support for human rights and democracy in Swaziland, the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) reported.
ACTSA organised and hosted
a visit to the UK by Vincent Ncongwane, the then Secretary General of the Trade
Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), in March 2015.
The TUC reported, ‘Vincent
met with the then Minister for Africa and senior officials at the Commonwealth Secretariat, as well as
with a wide range of civil society organisations, including trade unions.
Vincent was able to use these meetings to stress the need for the UK and
Commonwealth to step up their engagement with the Government of Swaziland so
that it fulfils its international obligations. He also called on bilateral and
multilateral agencies to more actively support the work of Swazi civil society.’
ACTSA has produced a range
of campaign materials. Most recently, ACTSA has published a new briefing paper Swaziland’s
Downward Spiral: The International Community Must Act Now. The paper
warns that Swaziland may plunge into a protracted crisis unless the international
community, including the UK, applies serious pressure on the Government of
Swaziland so that it respects human rights and develops a genuinely democratic
constitution. UNISON and other UK trade unionists have also been supportive of
the development of a Swazi Rural Women’s Charter, which is discussed in another
new ACTSA publication Women’s
Rights in Swaziland.
The paper reported
that King Mswati III, the absolute monarch in Swaziland, was one of the main
reasons why women in the kingdom remain oppressed. ACTSA reported that despite
claims that Swaziland was a modern country, ‘the reality is, despite pledges
and commitments, women continue to suffer discrimination, are treated as
inferior to men, and are denied rights.’
ACTSA added, ‘The King has
demonstrated he is unwilling to change the status quo and promotes multiple
aspects of the patriarchal society.’
In a separate report, ACTSA
called on the international community to apply serious pressure on the
Government of Swaziland so that it respects human rights and develops a
genuinely democratic constitution.
The absolute monarch King
Mswati III is due to become the chairperson of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) in August 2016 while his government continues to violate human
rights with impunity. In its report published in June
2016), ACTSA warned that Swaziland might plunge into a protracted
crisis unless African governments, as well as bilateral and multilateral
donors, vigorously and consistently engage with the Government of Swaziland so
that it genuinely protects and serves all of its citizens.
See also
KING
‘TO BLAME’ FOR WOMEN’S INEQUALITY
CALL
FOR GLOBAL PRESSURE ON SWAZI GOVT
