Swazi Media Commentary: mandela nelson

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Thursday, 2 January 2014

SWAZI PEOPLE AS OPPRESSED AS EVER

The year 2013 ended as it had started with the Swaziland state oppressing any kind of dissent. Observers of the Swazi scene were not at all surprised in December when armed police and security forces stopped a memorial service for the recently deceased Nelson Mandela from taking part in Manzini, Swaziland’s main business city. Prodemocracy supporters had called the prayer to celebrate the life of Mandela the freedom fighter and to draw attention to the need for democratic reforms in the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Also, in December 2013, the United States recognised that workers in Swaziland were being oppressed by the state and the country’s State Department instigated an investigation into the situation in the kingdom. If found wanting, Swaziland could lose valuable trade concessions with the US.

An independent survey into Swaziland published this month showed that two thirds of Swazi people questioned wanted democracy. This call for freedom was ignored by King Mswati who continued to try to sell his idea of ‘Monarchical Democracy’ which allows him to retain all important powers in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the King has still not released the full results of the national election held in his kingdom in September 2013.

These are some of the highlights of life in Swaziland in December 2013 brought together in a volume of compilations from the Swazi Media Commentary blogsite and published free-of-charge on the scribd website.

Swazi Media Commentary has no physical base and is completely independent of any political faction and receives no income from any individual or organisation. People who contribute ideas or write for it do so as volunteers and receive no payment.

Swazi Media Commentary is published online – updated most days – bringing information, comment and analysis in support of democracy in the kingdom.

Swaziland Striving for Freedom Vol 12 December 2013

Sunday, 15 December 2013

BAN ON MANDELA PRAYERS ‘ILLEGAL’

Organisers of a Nelson Mandela memorial service to be held in a Swaziland church say police acted illegally when they broke it up.

About 30 armed police raided the Lutheran Church in Manzini, Swaziland’s main business city, and stopped people attending a prayer service to mark the life of Mandela.

The Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), which organised the service on Friday (13 December 2013), along with Swaziland Concerned Church Leaders Forum, said in a statement. ‘The world must know that his majesty’s Government through the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) has illegally, unreasonably as well as unjustifiably stopped Swazis from paying tribute to Mandela.’

Police officers armed with rifles and batons blocked people from entering the church. One local newspaper report said police targeted people attending the service who were known to have ‘progressive’ views.

Sidney Nyembe, of the Swaziland Concerned Church Leaders Forum, said the mourners were locked inside the church for allegedly defying an order preventing the public from holding the service. But, he said, police were unable to show documentation for the order.

He said, ‘We are alarmed at this wanton disregard for human rights and failure to honour the memory of Nelson Mandela. We condemn this in the most strongest of terms. It is an insult to what Nelson Mandela stood for and clearly shows that the Swazi regime cannot hide its disgust for anything resembling democracy.’

Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned by the Swazi Constitution from taking part in elections and only 55 members of the kingdom’s 65-strong House of Assembly are selected by the king’s subjects. The king appoints the other members. No members of the Swaziland Senate are elected by the people. The king also chooses the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers and the chief judges.

The church service continued outside the church with police looking on.

Bishop AM Mnisi, was due to speak at the service. The text of his sermon, later released on social media, read in part, ‘It is painful to note that in many African countries today, there are still political prisoners. Christian souls that languish in jail for simple reason that they hold a different opinion. Security forces are deployed to block people and refuse them their rights of worship freely. Mandela fought for human rights as God’s given rights we ought to align ourselves with.’

Friday, 13 December 2013

ANGER OVER MANDELA PRAYER BLOCKADE

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has joined a growing chorus of condemnation of Swaziland for blocking a peaceful memorial service in the kingdom for Nelson Mandela on Friday (13 December 2013).

Bongani Masuku, COSATU Secretary of International Affairs, said, ‘It is the most desperate act of shame imaginable.’

Swaziland police blocked the Lutheran Church in Manzini, Swaziland’s main business city, to stop a service to mourn the death of Mandela. It had been organised by the Swaziland United DemocraticFront (SUDF), an organisation that is campaigning for democracy in Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Masuku said in a statement, ‘When the whole world recognises that whether you want freedom or not, it shall eventually come, we have a denialist of note in Mswati. He still entertains the illusion that he can stop the tide of freedom by closing out those who represents the best in human values.’

Earlier, the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), a political party, which like all others is banned in Swaziland, said, ‘Swaziland has proven yet again to be the skunk of the world by breaking up a peaceful memorial service to honour Mandela.’

It added, ‘The Swazi regime continues to show its intolerance for anything resembling democracy by forcing a halt of a Mandela memorial in Swaziland.’

Masuku of COSATU said, ‘In the same way that the apartheid regime failed to stop Madiba for more than 30 years of the long walk, they won't stop the people of Swaziland and the world in pushing forward with the cause. Mandela was labelled a terrorist in apartheid RSA [South Africa] and PUDEMO have been declared terrorists too, what a striking similarity, what a common future for all freedom fighters.’

MANDELA MEMORIAL FREEDOM PLEDGE

Swaziland state forces have broken up a peaceful church service intended to mourn the death of Nelson Mandela after its organisers pledged to honour Madiba by fighting for democracy in the kingdom.

The Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) called the prayer meeting at Manzini, the kingdom’s main commercial city, for Friday afternoon (13 December 2013), but police prevented the memorial taking place.

Prior to the service, SUDF issued a statement, which read in part, ‘In honor of Madiba`s legacy we pledge to do our best in hastening up our struggle for democracy in Swaziland and help ensure another human victory against black to black domination for which Madiba fought fearlessly against his whole life.’

SUDF is one of a number of organisations campaigning for democracy in the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, where all political parties are banned from taking part in elections.

Another prodemocracy organisation, the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), in a statement said, ‘The Swazi regime continues to show its intolerance for anything resembling democracy by forcing a halt of a Mandela memorial in Swaziland.’

It said, ‘Swaziland has proven yet again to be the skunk of the world by breaking up a peaceful memorial service to honour Mandela.’

Most political meetings are banned in Swaziland. Police, often working without a court order or warrant, break up gatherings, including prayer meetings, claiming national security threats.

PUDEMO said, ‘Let the world condemn the wanton disrespect to the memory of Nelson Mandela by the Swazi regime in breaking up a peaceful memorial service.’

According to a statement made by Wandile Dludlu from the SUDF, there is a clear connection between Mandela’s fight for democracy and justice and that of the democratic movement in Swaziland. ‘We love you Mandela and pledge to honour you by hastening our victory for democracy in Swaziland.’

This was not the first time police have attacked meetings organised by SUDF. Last month (November 2013), police raided a studio at the Christian Media Centre in Manzini and closed down the screening of the internationally-acclaimed film The King and the People, which criticises King Mswati III and was organised by SUDF.

SWAZI POLICE BREAK UP MANDELA PRAYERS

Police in Swaziland have broken up a church service held to mourn the death of Nelson Mandela, according reports from the kingdom.

The service at the Lutheran Church in Manzini, was organised by the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), an organisation that campaigns for democracy in the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) reported that police used ‘brute force’ to break up the memorial service.

This is not the first time police and state security forces in Swaziland have broken up prayer meetings. In March and April 2013, they broke up prayer meetings, claiming they were political meetings called to discuss the forthcoming national election in the kingdom. Police said they were a threat to national security.

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