COSATU to help evicted Swaziland sugar cane farmers regain control of land from King

Kenworthy News Media, 8 December 2018

SOURCE

 

The President of South African trade federation COSATU met with Swazi sugar cane farmers. She promised to help them regain control of their land from Swaziland’s absolute monarch King Mswati III, writes Kenworthy News Media.

COSATU President Zingiswa Losi met with sugar cane farmers from Vuvulane, Mafucula and Shewula in Manzini, Swaziland on Tuesday (4 December 2018). Here she got first-hand information on the ongoing evictions and harassment of the farmers by the Royal Swaziland Sugar Company and the Swaziland Sugar Association, both organisations controlled by King Mswati III.

According to Secretary General of the Media Workers Union of Swaziland, Sicelo Vilane, who was at the meeting, the COSATU President promised the farmers that her organisation will meet with the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland to look at how the farmers could be helped.

“She expressed and offered the solidarity of COSATU and the Southern African Trade Union Co-ordination Council to all the communities who are being subjected to such inhuman treatment”, Vilane says.

Democracy or sanctions
In September, Zingiswa Losi became COSATU’s first ever woman President unopposed. She serves on the ANC national executive committee, but lost out to Jessie Duarte in her bid to become the ANC’s deputy secretary-general last year.

She has advocated for democracy in Swaziland on several occasions as well as calling for economic sanctions against the small landlocked country. In 2012, she told South African newspapers that COSATU “shall be with you [Swaziland] however long it takes, wherever you are and however painful it feels”.

In 2011, Losi was arrested and deported from Swaziland during pro-democracy protests. At the time, COSATU condemned “in the strongest possible terms the brutal crackdown on peaceful protests in Swaziland”.

Given land in 1963
Mpisi Dlamini, a leading member of the Vuvulane Farmers Association, told the COSATU President how he and hundreds of other farmers had been given their land in Vuvulane in 1963 by the Colonial (now Commonwealth) Development Corporation (CDC), says Sicelo Vilane.

“They had produced sugar cane which was milled by the Mhlume Sugar Mill until 1981 when CDC resolved to transfer the land ownership to them. CDC approached [King Mswati III’s father] King Sobhuza II to hand over the title deeds to the farmers, but unfortunately the king passed away before the process was finalised”, according to VIlane.

A few years later, the government had forced the farmers to sign a document that effectively handed over the rights to the land to a company controlled by the royal family. Swaziland’s High Court had ruled in their favour, Dlamini told Losi, but they didn’t get their land back because “the king has taken sides in the matter”.

Losi was also told about forceful evictions and forceful relocations of farmers in Vuvulane, Mafucula and Shewula.

Regular evictions
The Swazi government and Swaziland’s sugar corporations have been harassing, evicting and forcefully relocating sugar cane farmers for many years without compensation to make way for sugar-cane fields controlled by King Mswati.

In 2013 for example, Freedom House reported several “unlawful arrests and detentions carried out by the police” against sugar cane farmers in the Vuvulane area. “Police are increasing pressure on farmers resisting their unlawful evictions from land that they have occupied for generations”, Freedom House stated.

In February 2016, 22 Vuvulane farmers were evicted from lands that they and their families had tended since 1963 by Vuvulane Irrigated Farms and the Swaziland Sugar Corporation.

And an Amnesty International report from September described two cases of forced and unlawful evictions without warning: One in the Malkers, where 60 people were evicted in April, and one in Nokwane, where 180 people were evicted in October 2014.

According to the report, the government “failed to provide essential services to those affected by the forced eviction: food, potable water and sanitation, basic shelter and housing, appropriate clothing or means of livelihood”. The forced evictions were a symptom of “a deeper, underlying problem” that violates international and regional human rights law, Amnesty said.

The more recent evictions have happened amongst other things because the king and his mother wish to use land in Vuvulane to construct a new town,  the sugar cane famers say.

‘Swazi gold’
Sugar – known in Swaziland as ‘Swazi gold’ – is Swaziland’s main export commodity. With a population of only 1.3 million people, Swaziland is the 4th largest sugar producer in Africa. Sugar production accounts for over half of Swaziland’s agricultural output and nearly one fifth of Swaziland’s GDP.

According to a 2016 report from the International Trade Union Confederation, Mswati uses sugar profits to sweeten his own life, leaving sugar-cane farmers and the majority of the population bitterly impoverished.

And a 2017 report by Danish solidarity organisation Afrika Kontakt revealed how smallholder growers are also left vulnerable by sugar price fluctuations and transport costs, as well as by the corruption and undermining of the fight for democracy, that EU-support for Swaziland’s sugar industry, healthcare and education systems allows.

See also

EU money pays for lavish Swazi king

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/05/eu-money-pays-for-lavish-swazi-king.html

 

Human suffering and Swazi sugar

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/human-suffering-and-swazi-sugar.html

King exploits sugar workers

https://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/king-exploits-sugar-workers.html

STUDENTS THANK GLOBAL SUPPORT

The following is a statement released today (15 February 2010) by the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS).

Swaziland National Union of Students

“We are members of the community before we are students”

The January Movement led by Swaziland National Union of Students [S.N.U.S.]

The Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) we want to convey our heartfelt appreciation to the many progressive friends of the Swazi students who have been issuing statements of solidarity to the oppressed students of Swaziland. We are encouraged and our spirits are renewed knowing that the progressive world community is with us and believes in the correctness of our struggle against this undemocratic kingdom of King Mswati III.

We were not aware that our struggle had struck the right chord, we thought we were alone but today we know that indeed the world community of progressive organisations will never let us struggle alone and this has made us to struggle even with more determination. We would like to single out the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and its sister unions, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Denmark allies, and many other organisations that have helped profile our struggle.

Today comrades we report that owing to the insurmountable pressure that the regime found itself under when it charged comrade Sicelo Vilane it decided to withdraw charges against him without stating the reasons why. Also, all our comrades that were abducted by the police during our last rally in Manzini were released without charge. We do not believe that this was because of the benevolence of King Mswati III’s government but rather to the pressure that you patriots of the world have put.

SNUS would also like to tell the government led by the illegally-appointed Sibusiso [Barnabas] Dlamini that the students are angry at the response that his government has given to students’ demands. In fact, the response is short of showing us the middle finger.

The government was given four demands but responded only to two and in the most sarcastic of ways without regard to the seriousness and urgency that the students viewed their demands. Government has not even dared to respond to our concerns on free quality education for all students as well as how she will register our union. Instead government has written a one page response where she states that she will not address the issue of personal allowance now but would rather talk about it once the scholarship policy has been passed into law. She says that the present scholarship will be revisited and students will be ‘consulted’ in due course.

Our problem is that government wants to pass the scholarship clandestinely and we wonder who will represent the collective interests of students if she does not want to register SNUS. We have dealt with this government long enough to know her cunning plans.

We say today that we will no longer be begging government to respond positively to our demands, we shall now be on the streets mobilising and organising until government feels the heat and realise that we are serious and angry.

Our successful night vigil in Manzini deliberated and agreed that the problem in this country is not per ser individuals that do not want to listen to us, but is the foundation in which this country is built. Students realised that the problem in this country is a lack of democracy; it is the lack of power to the people to choose the government of their choice, hence this arrogance from the present administration. It was therefore agreed that the January 30 resolution must be reaffirmed and pursued to the bitter end.

Students also welcomed the formation of the Swaziland Democracy Campaign expected to be launched this coming week. Such noble initiatives have unwavering support from the students and come at the right time when students have vowed to make this country ungovernable and Tinkhundla unworkable. As students we have taken it upon our shoulders to ensure that democracy comes in our life time and we believe that Swaziland can no longer be an island of dictatorship in a sea of democracy. Students will hold a rally this coming week as a build up to this watershed moment in the Swazi struggle.

Lastly, SNUS is expected to meet the South African Students Congress (SASCO) on Monday. SASCO has a history of always being on the side of the oppressed, poor Swazi youth and students in particular. Even at this hour of need, they have opened their arms and welcomed the students to their shores and to that we are more than grateful.

OUR DEMANDS ARE CLEAR;

1) Scrap off the scholarship policy

2) Provide Free Primary Education to all pupils at Primary School

3) Register SNUS an official voice of students across colleges and universities

4) Increase our pathetic personal allowances

STUDENT’S TERROR CHARGE DROPPED

The Swazi state has dropped the charge of terrorism against the student journalist abducted by police.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) withdrew the charge at the Swaziland High Court.

The DPP refused to give reasons for the withdrawal, but the arrest and charge of Sicelo Vilane had provoked outrage both inside Swaziland and internationally.

Vilane had been seen with a camera at a student protest in Manzini. He was later found to have a membership card of the banned Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO).

Reports said that Vilane had been tortured by police while in custody.

The DPP is keeping silent about its reasons for dropping the charge but it must have had in mind the abject humiliation that was heaped upon the Swazi state, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, last year (2009) when a charge of terrorism against Mario Masuku, the president of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), collapsed within hours of its start. Masuku had been in jail on remand for 10 months awaiting trial.

At the time High Court Judge Mbutfo Mamba halted the trial of Masuku after being presented with ‘poor quality of evidence’ by the prosecution led by Swaziland’s Director of Public Prosecutions Mumcy Dlamini.

GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR SWAZI STUDENTS

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK and the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) are the latest international organisations to condemn the abduction of student leaders by the Swaziland state police.

The TUC has protested to the Swaziland High Commission in London, at the arrest of a student journalist who was later charged with being a terrorist.

In a letter to the High Commissioner, copied to the UK Foreign Secretary, the TUC says, ‘The TUC is aware of the current student unrest in your country which stems from the lack of adequate and appropriate educational facilities for university students in line with their aspirations.

‘Moreover, it is symptomatic of the absence of meaningful dialogue on political reforms and of the failure of the authorities to properly address the concerns of the students expressed through their long-standing demands.

‘We urge you to pass on to your Government our deep concern over the safety and welfare of the students concerned and use your influence with the authorities to ensure that the student leaders are released without delay.’

ZINASU also condemned the abduction in a statement. ‘The whereabouts of the student leaders are still unknown and ZINASU castigates the abuse of state machinery by ruling elites in Africa in general who continue to suppress the students’ rights to freedom of expression and association to protect their own selfish political interests, it said.

STUDENT CHARGED WITH TERRORISM

A Swazi journalism student who carried a camera while taking part in a demonstration has been arrested by police, tortured, and charged with being a terrorist.

Sicelo Vilane was one of the students who were abducted by Swazi state police who broke up a demonstration by students planned on the streets of Manzini on Wednesday (10 February 2010).

He is due to appear in the Swaziland High Court.

Vilane says that he was carrying a camera to take pictures of the event to give to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) reports that ‘is only crime was that he took pictures of police torturing and tormenting Pius Vilakati, UNISWA [University of Swaziland] [Students Representative Council] President, and while going back to take more pictures of other students one police officer followed him and grabbed him from behind and demanded that he delete the pictures.

‘He was taken to the police headquarters in Manzini where he was tortured while being asked why he was taking the pictures.’

Vilane was searched by police and found to be carrying a Swaziland Youth Congress [SWAYOCO] card bearing his name.

SSN reports, ‘he was then tortured viciously and then charged with contravening Section 19 (1) (b) of the [Suppression of] Terrorism Act.

‘Yesterday he spent the entire day at the police station and no efforts was made that he be taken to court even though according to law suspects must have appeared before a Magistrate by at least 48 hours of their arrest.’

SSN reports that even though Vilane had been ‘arrested and tortured viciously, police have not made efforts to contact his parents to inform them of his arrest’.