SWAZILAND URGENTLY NEEDS CHANGE

Guardian, UK

An absolute monarch, a bloated state payroll, corruption and a looming financial crisis. Swaziland urgently needs change

21 April 2011

SOURCE

How long can Swaziland resist reform?

As waves of protest, rebellion and revolution are changing the order in north Africa, whispers of change are shaking institutions in the south.

Swaziland, a small, land-locked country, is sandwiched uncomfortably between South Africa, the regional powerhouse, and Mozambique, whose aspirations continue to soar following several years of rapid economic growth. Despite its new constitution, the kingdom of Swaziland is ruled by one of the world's last absolute monarchs: King Mswati III, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Tuesday (19 April 2011).

Famed in the west for his practice of polygamy, the king and his father before him, Sobhuza II, have maintained a state of emergency that began in 1973 after the second national election brought three opposition MPs into parliament. Though the monarchy is supported by most people in the country, Mswati remains a controversial figure among a small, but growing, minority. "We love our king, we just don't love the way he abuses our money," a Swazi friend once explained to me.

This is not surprising: 63% of Swaziland's population lives in poverty. Despite its middle income-country status, Swaziland tops a number of unwelcome charts, with the world's highest rates of HIV and Aids (over 25%) and TB, and some of the highest rates of inequality and infant mortality. Average life expectancy is just over 30 years, the lowest in the world.

Economic growth has slowed considerably in the past decade, corruption is rife and the government continues to push half of its resources into sustaining a bloated civil service payroll – estimated by the IMF to be 18% of GDP, one of the highest proportions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Until recently, around 60% of total government revenue came from the South African Customs Union. But since 2009-10, receipts from Sacu have fallen dramatically – by around two-thirds in 2010-11, cutting total government revenue by around 40%. Despite this, politicians increased their allowances significantly through the infamous finance circular No 1, leading unions to forgo the proposed public sector salary freeze and force the government to implement a 4.5% salary increase for 2010-11.

As the fiscal situation worsened, the government approached the IMF to provide advice on fiscal adjustment. But the IMF programme came with strong conditions, including increasing taxes and domestic borrowing, and cutting the public sector payroll by 5%. In a demonstration of commitment, cabinet ministers agreed to cut their salaries by 10% from this month and asked other politicians and the civil service to follow. The gesture was mute without revoking the controversial finance circular, and all parties remain locked in negotiations.

Around this time, two voices emerged. A Facebook group appeared, calling for support for an "uprising" on 12 April – the anniversary of Sobhuza's decree banning political parties in 1973, and a popular date for pro-democracy protests. Responding separately to the greed and ineptitude demonstrated by politicians, unions staged a peaceful protest in March, presenting a petition to the government with five specific requests, which included revoking circular No 1 and bringing the king's holding company into the tax system. The ultimatum was 12 April.

The crackdown by the government was sharp and the rhetoric harsh. Union leaders were arrested along with over 160 protesters on the day of the rally in Manzini (the country's largest city). The aftermath was more muted – aside from police barricading the national teachers association into their headquarters – with both the government and protesters claiming victory. This wasn't an uprising, but a question remains regarding what is around the corner.

The popularity of the so-called uprising in the international media has brought greater attention to the political hardships facing Swaziland. The African National Congress, South Africa's ruling party, has advised Swaziland to lift the ban on political parties. Representatives from the US and the EU have issued statements on political freedoms and human rights.

So as the king prepares to attend the royal wedding in London next week, he does so presumably knowing that, in 2011-12, to avoid a financial crisis, his government will have to find ways to plug a budget deficit of around $500m (almost 8% of GDP). Reserves are low, the domestic banks appear to have curbed lending to the state, and all donor budget support will be dependent on the government meeting IMF conditions.

Reform is needed. Without it, hospitals, schools run the risk of underfunding and eventually salaries may not be paid – a tough environment when you are also trying to sustain a police state. Fiscal and economic change is coming to Swaziland, it remains to be seen whether political change will follow.

John Woods is a pseudonym

ARE SWAZI PROTEST ACTIVISTS SPLIT?

Mail and Guardian, South Africa

21 April 2011

SOURCE

Policy of peaceful protest divides Swazi activists

Swaziland's trade unions have vowed to continue peaceful protest aimed at pressuring the government to step down, but more radical campaigners are growing impatient with the lack of change and have hinted they may resort to more extreme measures.

It is understood that the unions have vowed to stage regular labour demonstrations in the months ahead, culminating in a major event on September 6, the 43rd anniversary of Swaziland's independence.

This week Mduduzi Gina, the secretary general of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, said members had resolved that the protests would continue.

"We want the removal of the government and prime minister and to have a constitutional monarch and multiparty democracy," he said.

There were plans to combine the country's two union federations into a single Trade Unions Congress of Swaziland in a bid to streamline their campaign, he said.

However, some factions of the protest movement want the king to be ousted entirely and are advocating more radical measures to achieve this.

April 12 Uprising Movement
Former Swaziland National Union of Students' (SNUS) president Pius Vilakati, who lives in exile in South Africa and leads the "April 12 Uprising" movement, said this week: "The problem is the monarchy. Our aim is to remove the king and make sure there's multiparty democracy. We need to dismantle the system."

Vilakati, who claimed his group received financial support from the South African Communist Party, said: "Our intention is clear. We need to put fear into the regime and make it aware that we are serious about change. We know that lives may be lost, but if police or defence force members are willing to die for the king, we have no choice. We're willing to die for democracy."

Last week a plan for an "uprising" was extinguished by a security force crackdown. SNUS president Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni, a member of the youth wing of the banned opposition party Pudemo, have since been charged with possession of explosives and are in custody.

But many believe that the government scored an "own goal" because the allegations of brutality in the crackdown gave Swaziland rare global media exposure.

Commenting on the emerging rift within the pro-democracy front, which includes a newly formed communist party and two banned political parties, veteran Swazi pro-democracy campaigner Musa Hlophe agreed that the situation was "fluid".

"There are different approaches," said Hlophe, who heads the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations, a non-political umbrella group of unions, democracy campaigners and churches. "Some think our approach is delaying progress," he said. "We can't blame those who are impatient for change, but if there is a violent takeover, it will make a mockery of our cry for democracy and it will create a culture of violence."

Seemingly oblivious of the negative media coverage, King Mswati thanked his security forces last Friday for "ensuring peace" and said the protesters were being led by the "devil".

SWAZI UNIONS TO CONTINUE PROTESTS

19 April 2011

AFP

SOURCE

Swaziland unions to hold monthly protests

MBABANE — Swaziland’s trade union today (19 April 2011) said it will hold monthly anti-government protests calling for multi-party democracy despite a heavy police crackdown on demonstrations last week.

"We are now calling for the total transformation of the political system," Vincent Dlamini, secretary general of the country’s civil servants union NAPSAWU, told AFP after a meeting of the main trade unions.

Dlamini said mass demonstrations and stayaways will now be held every month in order to increase pressure on King Mswati III’s royalist government.

"We are saying the present government has failed and they must resign," he said.

Last week planned three-day protests ended in chaos as police rounded up anyone suspected of wanting to join the demonstrations, declared illegal by Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini.

Security forces also used tear gas and water cannons on protesters gathered inside a teachers' trade union building.

However, Vincent Dlamini said workers were adamant they wanted to continue with their protests despite the crackdown.

He also said they were not distancing themselves from a "national uprising" organised using the social networking site Facebook.

"We need all kinds of solutions to this problem," he said.

Swaziland’s trade unions blame the government for the country’s current financial crisis and are resisting attempts to cut civil servants’ salaries at the International Monetary Fund’s behest.

Foreign Minister Lutfo Dlamini during last week's failed demonstrations called on all the parties to talk in order to address the unions’ grievances.

The country has been under a state of emergency since 1973 and political parties are banned. Trade unions are the only organisations legally allowed to hold demonstrations.

Vincent Dlamini said the exact date date for May’s demonstrations had not yet been finalised.