RELEASED INTO THE BIG SWAZI PRISON

Kenworthy News Media, 15 July 2015

SOURCE

After having spent over a year in prison awaiting trial for having shouted pro-democracy slogans, pro-democracy leaders Mario Masuku and Maxwell Dlamini were granted bail Tuesday (14 July 2015) in the small absolute monarchy of Swaziland, writes Kenworthy News Media.

Masuku and Dlamini, both high-ranking members of banned pro-democracy party the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), are charged under Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act, an act that Amnesty International calls “inherently repressive”. They have previously applied for bail twice without success. 

Pressure led to release

Mounting pressure for their release, combined with a crisis in the judiciary in Swaziland that has led to the sacking of the Chief Justice and the Minister of Justice and the subsequent release of two other pro-democracy advocates in June, may have paved the way for Masuku and Dlamini having been granted bail.

An international campaign for their release is supported by amongst others Amnesty International, the ANC, the Swaziland United Democratic Front, the International Trade Union Confederation as well as former anti-apartheid organisations ACTSA and Afrika Kontakt from the UK and Denmark respectively.

The Danish embassy, the UK Foreign Office and the Commenwealth have also raised the matter of Masuku and Dlamini’s case and imprisonment with the Swazi government, as has the former Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mogens Lykketoft, who will be the next President of the UN General Assembly.

Suffered more than enough

According to Swazi trade union leader Wonder Mkhonza, who knows both Masuku and Dlamini personally, they have already suffered more than enough in prison. “No one deserves such treatment”, he says.

Mario Masuku, who suffers from diabetes, has been seriously ill during his prison spell, but has been denied proper treatment. Maxwell Dlamini has previously been tortured by police while detained, and was receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of his arrest in 2014.

Both have had to sleep on the floor in a small cell with as many as 35 other inmates.

Into the big prison

Although Masuku and Dlamini have now been released on bail, they still face the challenge of what Mario Masuku has called “the big prison that is Swaziland”.

These challenges include debilitating bail payments and legal expenses, gruelling bail conditions and continuous harassment of anyone who challenges the rule of absolute monarch Mswati III.

See also

DEMOCRACY LEADERS FREED ON BAIL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/democracy-leaders-freed-on-bail.html

DEMOCRACY LEADERS FREED ON BAIL

Two prodemocracy leaders in Swaziland Mario Masuku and Maxwell Dlamini who have been in jail on remand for more than 14 months were granted bail by the Swazi Supreme Court on Tuesday (14 July 2015).

Masuku is president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) and Dlamini secretary-general of PUDEMO’s youth wing, SWAYOCO. Both organisations are banned under the kingdom’s Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA).

Both men were arrested at a May Day rally in 2014 and charged with sedition under the STA. They are accused of making statements in favour of the PUDEMO.

Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III, as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King chooses government members. All prodemocracy activities are banned.

The European Union in Swaziland reported on Tuesday that Masuku and Dlamini were finally released on bail that day following their appeal against the High Court’s decision to repeatedly deny them bail.

 

The EU reported on its Facebook page, ‘The two who were arrested in May 2014 on charges of sedition and terrorism and had remained in detention since, were granted bail after the Crown said it was not opposing the appeal. 

‘However, this was not before the Supreme Court judges expressed displeasure at the lengthy detention of the two yet bail was a constitutional right. 

‘The two were then released on E12 000 (US$1,200) bail each with E3 000 (for each) payable in cash and the rest as surety. 

‘Their release was met with jubilation from family and friends as well as PUDEMO members who immediately burst into political struggle songs and toy-toyed in celebration within the High Court premises.’

In May 2015 European Parliament members called on King Mswati to free all political prisoners in the kingdom or face the prospect of economic sanctions.

See also    

      

FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS: EURO MPs

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/free-political-prisoners-euro-mps.html

 

JAILED DEMOCRATS NOW IN ISOLATION

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/jailed-democrats-now-in-isolation.html

ORGANISERS TALK-UP SWAZI KING’S CUP

Organisers of the football tournament arranged to honour Swaziland’s autocratic monarch King Mswati III expect 20,000 spectators to attend from outside the kingdom.

They expect a further 10,000 of the King’s subjects from Swaziland to attend.

This was reported by the Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati himself.

Tickets costing a minimum E250 (US$25) are presently on sale, even though more than seven in ten of the King’s 1.3 million subjects have incomes of less than US$2 per day. It would take most Swazi people more than a month to earn the price of a ticket.

The tournament called the King’s Super Cup is to be held on 18 July 2015. Two of South Africa’s top football sides, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates have agreed to play in the one-day competition.

This is the first time the tournament has run and organisers say the competition is to honour the King.

In Swaziland King Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and pro-democracy campaigners are arrested under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

A campaign is running to attempt to persuade the two South African clubs not to take part in the tournament because it would be seen as supporting the King who has been criticised globally for the poor human rights in his kingdom.

Campaigners say if the clubs took part in the tournament it would be a ‘mockery to the many activists that have died at the hands of the government and those who are presently languishing in jail for having dared to talk against the atrocities obtaining in Swaziland’.

The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), in a statement said, ‘Almost 70 percent of Swazi citizens live under the poverty line of less than a dollar a day, while Mswati III’s preoccupation is buying private jets, luxury cars and touring the world with his throng of wives at the expense of the Swazi people.’

The tournament’s Public Relations Officer, Dumsani ‘DU’ Sibandze was reported by the Swazi Observer saying 10,000 tickets would be made available to local soccer fans while the rest would be sold to South Africa and neighbouring countries. 

The tournament will take place at the Somhlolo National Stadium, which the newspaper reported would accommodate 30,000 spectators on the day.

It was previously reported that E5.8 million (US$580,000) had been taken from various government ministries to fund the tournament.

 

See also

CALL TO BOYCOTT KING’S SOCCER CUP

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-to-boycott-kings-soccer-cup.html

 

SWAZI KING’S CUP TICKET PRICES SKY HIGH

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/swazi-kings-cup-ticket-price-sky-high.html

           

CAMPAIGN TO STOP KING’S CUP SPREADS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/campaign-to-stop-kings-cup-spreads.html

 

PUBLIC FUNDS TO SUPPORT KING’S CUP

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/public-funds-to-support-kings-cup.html

NO LET UP IN CALL FOR DEMOCRACY

The Commonwealth is to continue to pressure Swaziland to democratise and allow political parties to contest elections in the kingdom.

It is also urging a review of the kingdom’s constitution to ensure that the country meets international standards of democracy.

This was confirmed during a week-long visit by a Commonwealth mission to Swaziland.

The chair of the mission the special envoy Bakili Muluzi told media on Thursday (9 July 2015) that after the last Swazi national election in 2013, Commonwealth observers made a number of recommendations and he hoped to ensure that these recommendations were in force in time for the next election, due in 2018.

King Mswati III rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned by the kingdom’s constitution from taking part in elections. Groups that advocate for multi-party democracy are banned under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

In its report on the 2013 elections, the Commonwealth observers recommended that measures be put in place to ensure separation of powers between the government, parliament and the courts so that Swaziland was in line with its international commitments.

They also called on the Swazi Constitution to be ‘revisited’.

The report stated, ‘This should ideally be carried out through a fully inclusive, consultative process with all Swazi political organisations and civil society (needed, with the help of constitutional experts), to harmonise those provisions which are in conflict. The aim is to ensure that Swaziland’s commitment to political pluralism is unequivocal.’

It also recommended that a law be passed to allow for political parties to take part in elections, ‘so as to give full effect to the letter and spirit of Section 25 of the Constitution, and in accordance with Swaziland’s commitment to its regional and international commitments’.

See also

POWER STAYS WITH KING – WORLD MEDIA

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/09/power-stays-with-king-worlds-media.html

COMMONWEALTH CALLS FOR DEMOCRACY

The Commonwealth has sent a special envoy to Swaziland in a bid to get the absolute monarch King Mswati III to democratise his kingdom.

The former Malawi president Bakili Muluzi is leading a team on a visit to Swaziland from 5 to 10 July 2015.

King Mswati rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King chooses the government and top judges. The Suppression of Terrorism Act is used to suppress any attempt to discuss the need for democratic change.

The Commonwealth is pushing for the unbanning of political parties in Swaziland. It made a recommendation for this to happen after the 2013 nation election, but it has been ignored.

According to media reports in Malawi, Muluzi said he would hold discussions with a wide array of stakeholders, including the King, the King’s government ministers and civil society.

Commonwealth observers called for the Swazi Constitution to be rewritten after they concluded the kingdom’s national election in September 2013 was not entirely credible.

They said members of parliament ‘continue to have severely limited powers’ and political parties are banned.

The Commonwealth observers said there was ‘considerable room for improving the democratic system’.

In a report they said the Constitution needed to be revisited with an open debate on what changes were necessary.

It added, ‘This should ideally be carried out through a fully inclusive, consultative process with all Swazi political organisations and civil society (if needed, with the help of constitutional experts.’

It said, ‘The aim is to ensure that Swaziland’s commitment to political pluralism is unequivocal.’

See also 

POLL OBSERVERS: REWRITE CONSTITUTION

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/poll-observers-rewrite-constitution.html

PUBLIC FUNDS TO SUPPORT KING’S CUP

Nearly E6 million of public money is to be pumped into the controversial football tournament in Swaziland created to honour the kingdom’s absolute monarch King Mswati III.

The Swazi Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs has been given E5.8 million (US$580,000) by government to fund the so-called King’s Super Cup.

The money will be diverted to the tournament scheduled for 18 July 2015 that features two of South Africa’s top clubs, the Orlando Pirates and the Kaizer Chiefs.

The money has been diverted from a number of government departments in the cash-strapped kingdom, where seven in ten of the 1.3 million population have incomes of less than US$2 a day.

According to local media in Swaziland the money will have to be repaid after the tournament, but this would only be possible if the event is a financial success.

The winner of the tournament will reportedly take E1 million prize money. The cheapest tickets will be E250, which is out of the reach of most Swazi people.

Meanwhile, one of the groups opposing the tournament on the grounds that it would be seen as supporting the King who has been criticised globally for the poor human rights in his kingdom, has promised what it calls a ‘revolution’ in Swaziland if the tournament goes ahead.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) was widely reported in South African media saying it had ‘underground’ plans to dispatch a revolution if the South African clubs went ahead.

Lucky Lukhele, the SSN spokesperson, was reported saying ‘All systems are in place underground and overground in South Africa and in Swaziland should they [Pirates and Chiefs] decide to ignore us.’

He added, ‘Our revolution will not be peed on by ignorant people. We have a network of people who are helping us and we are ready for anything.’

See also

CALL TO BOYCOTT KING’S SOCCER CUP

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/call-to-boycott-kings-soccer-cup.html

 

SWAZI KING’S CUP TICKET PRICES SKY HIGH

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/swazi-kings-cup-ticket-price-sky-high.html

           

CAMPAIGN TO STOP KING’S CUP SPREADS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/campaign-to-stop-kings-cup-spreads.html

LATEST UPDATE ON SWAZI HUMAN RIGHTS

Swaziland: Striving for freedom Vol 18. April to June 2015

A Chief Justice sacked after allegations of abuse of power, the Justice Minister sacked and accused of bribery and corruption and the whole Swazi judiciary in crisis. These were the highlight events in the second quarter of 2015.

But that was not all, King Mswati III was revealed to have deceived his subjects when he bought himself a private jet aircraft in 2010. The plane was impounded by a court in Canada as the subject of a dispute over unpaid debts. Then, it was revealed that the King was buying himself another jet with a cost estimated at about $44 million.

Meanwhile, the international community were exploring ways to sanction the King and force a move towards democracy in Swaziland. 

Jailed journalists Bhekhi Makhubu and Thulani Maseko, both jailed for writing articles critical of the Swazi judiciary, had their convictions overturned by the Supreme Court.

This compilation available free of charge from scribd dot com brings together posts that originally appeared on the Swazi Media Commentary website. Swazi Media Commentary website 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 regularly.

Swaziland Striving for Freedom Vol 18 Apr - June 2015

‘ATTEMPTED COUP IN SWAZILAND’

The Swaziland Parliament attempted a coup-d’état in the kingdom, the Swazi Observer newspaper reported on Friday (3 July 2015).

It happened when the Swazi House of Assembly suspended its Speaker Themba Msibi after a number of allegations surfaced, including that he had been part of a plot to oust Prime Minister, Barnabas Dlamini.

The House of Assembly set up a select committee to investigate the allegations.

Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch, but the House of Assembly by-passed the King in taking its action.

Alec Lushaba, the editor of the Sunday Observer, wrote in the Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, ‘Clearly, this was a coup-de-tat (sic).’

A coup d’état is defined as ‘a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force’.

The Swazi Observer was described by the Media Institute of Southern Africa in a 2013 report on press freedom in the kingdom as ‘a pure propaganda machine for the royal family’.

 

It is widely considered to be the voice of King Mswati III.

After a four-hour meeting the House of Assembly referred the matter of the Speaker to the King.

Lushaba wrote, ‘Parliament which this week after a four hour caucus finally resolved to make presentations to the appointing authority [the King], had undermined his authority.’

Lushaba wrote, ‘For a moment, the MPs forgot that they were Swazis and failed to respect the institution of the Monarch, which is vested with authority to appoint and remove people from office.’

Msibi was appointed Speaker by the King following the national election in 2013. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King appoints the government, top political officials and top judges.

Lushaba added, ‘Parliament must be fined 10 cattle for bringing the name of the King and country into disrepute in its handling of the Speaker issue.’

See also

SWAZI HOUSE SPEAKER SUSPENDED

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/swazi-house-speaker-suspended.html

HUGE SWAZILAND STATE SECURITY

More than one in three of the government workforce in Swaziland is employed in the police or security services, figures recently released reveal.

King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as an absolute monarch, is the Commander-in-Chief of the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF), holds the position of Minister of Defence, and is the Commander of the Royal Swaziland Police Service (RSPS) and His Majesty’s Correctional Service (HMCS). 

He presides over a civilian Principal Secretary of Defence and a Commanding General. 

In 2014, about 35 percent of the government workforce was assigned to security-related functions. 

The RSPS is responsible for maintaining internal security. The USDF is responsible for external security but also has domestic security responsibilities, including protecting members of the Royal Family. 

The HMCS is responsible for the protection, incarceration, and rehabilitation of convicted persons and keeping order within HMCS institutions. HMCS personnel, however, routinely work alongside police during protests and demonstrations.

This has been revealed in the United States Department of State report on human rights in Swaziland for the year 2014.

There are thought to be more than 35,000 people on the government payroll in Swaziland.

The report stated, ‘While the conduct of the RSPS, USDF, and HMCS was generally professional, members of all three forces were susceptible to political pressure and corruption. There were few prosecutions or disciplinary actions taken against security officers accused of abuses.’

Reviewing 2014, the report stated, ‘There were credible reports of use of excessive force by community police and security forces during the year. For example, on July 21, the Times of Swaziland reported that on July 13, three Malindza community police beat to death a mentally challenged man who had escaped from the National Psychiatric Center. The three were arrested, jailed, denied bail, and awaiting High Court trial at year’s end.

‘The Times of Swaziland of July 28 reported that during the first week of July correctional services officers from Big Bend correctional facility re-apprehended an escaped prisoner, beat him, and locked him overnight in a truck as punishment for escaping. The inmate died, reportedly due to lack of medical attention and exposure to the cold.’

The report also said the Swazi Government permitted very limited monitoring of prison conditions.

‘Independent monitoring groups found it difficult to access prison facilities during the year, and none issued public reports. The government routinely denied prison access to local human rights organizations, African Union Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Pansy Tlakula, and foreign diplomatic representatives.’

The report added, ‘Authorities generally did not allow journalists inside prisons. On April 12, the HMCS denied visitation rights to six journalists from different media houses seeking to visit incarcerated Nation magazine editor Bheki Makhubu and stated visitors must obtain permission from the commissioner of correctional services. Several international NGOs attempted to obtain permission without response from the commissioner.’

There were also arbitrary arrests in Swaziland.

The report stated, ‘Although the constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, police arbitrarily arrested and detained numerous persons, primarily to prevent their participation in public protests. For example, on August 30, the Times of Swaziland newspaper reported police detained 25 residents of KaLuhleko for three days for their opposition to the authority of a certain chief. Residents, including persons over the age of 71, alleged police tied their hands and legs to benches and covered their heads for three days.’

The judiciary in the kingdom was not independent.

The report stated, ‘The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, but the King’s power to appoint the judiciary on recommendation of the Judicial Services Commission limits judicial independence.

‘The judiciary was generally impartial in nonpolitical criminal and civil cases not involving the Royal Family or government officials. In cases involving high-level government officials or Royal Family members, however, outcomes in favor of these individuals were predetermined. 

‘High Court judges who exercised a degree of independence were sidelined and blocked from ruling on political cases, including human rights cases.’

See also

TRIALS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED: AMNESTY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/trials-politically-motivated-amnesty.html

 

SWAZI HUMAN RIGHTS WORSEN: AMNESTY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2015/02/swazi-human-rights-worsen-amnesty.html

COURT RULING CHANGES NOTHING

The Swaziland magazine editor Bheki Makhubu and human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko had their jail sentences overturned by the Supreme Court after immense international pressure, but this will not change the judicial system in the kingdom.
 

The pair were convicted and sentenced to two years in jail for writing and publishing articles critical of the Swazi judiciary.

On Tuesday (30 June 2015) the pair was released by the Supreme Court after judges ruled their conviction by the High Court was unsupportable. They had been in jail since March 2014.

Now, two of the groups involved in the campaign to free the two men are warning that the overturning of the conviction does not mean the judicial system has changed in Swaziland.

King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and he picks the top judges. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King choses the Prime Minister and the government. Groups that campaign for democracy are banned under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Reacting to the release of Makhubu and Maseko, Sharan Burrow, International Trade Union Confederation General Secretary, said, ‘Their release just a couple of weeks before the end of their prison sentences should not be seen as a sign of progress in Swaziland. International pressure has helped get them released early, and needs to be sustained to bring about respect for fundamental rights in Swaziland, which is one of the worst countries for violations against workers’ rights.’

Pressure came from all over the world, including the United Nations and the European Parliament. Amnesty International had named the two men prisoners of conscience.

 

In June 2015, The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) called for the immediate release of the two men and said they should be paid ‘adequate compensation, enforceable by law’. 

Organisations within Swaziland and Africa as well as outside the continent demanded the release of the two who wrote and published articles in a tiny-circulation monthly magazine the Nation, critical of the Swazi judiciary and the then Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi.

One of these groups, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, in a statement called the judiciary, ‘a tool of oppression of Mswati’s government. As long as the king remains an absolute monarch, there will never be any judicial independence in the country.’

It added. ‘This capitulation by the despot king is a direct result of the political pressure he has received from the Mass Democratic Movement, international institutions and foreign states. Without this pressure the two would still be languishing in prison. We therefore take the time to acknowledge the moral, financial and political support from those institutions.’

Ramodibedi was sacked from his post on 17 June 2015 after a Judicial Service Commission hearing found him guilty of abuse of power.  Ramodibedi left Swaziland for his home country of Lesotho. A warrant for his arrest has been issued in Swaziland.

See also

SUPREME COURT FREES JAILED WRITERS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/supreme-court-frees-jailed-writers.html

WORKING FOR DEMOCRACY IN SWAZILAND

Democracy on a silver plate 

Kenworthy News Media, 1 July 2015 

SOURCE

“When we got our independence from the UK in 1968 it was given to us on a silver plate. The people of Swaziland didn’t understand or have to fight for their democracy”, Linus Mavimbela tells me. Five years after independence, the Swazi king introduced a state of emergency, banned all political parties, and turned Swaziland into a repressive absolute monarchy, writes Kenworthy News Media.

Linus Mavimbela is a leading member of the People’s United Democratic Movement in Swaziland. He was in Copenhagen to follow the Danish elections that were held on June 18 [2015], invited by the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy and the Danish political party The Red-Green Alliance.

Politicians are servants, not masters

Amongst other things, Linus Mavimbela visited poll stations and joined the campaign tour of Red-Green Alliance MP Christian Juhl. He was above all impressed with the humility of the Danish politicians.

“You can see that Danish politicians are servants, whereas in much of Africa they are masters. Christian, in his campaign, responded to even the smallest communities and took the time to answer all questions honestly and patiently. And the Danish PM graciously accepted losing the election, which is rarely something you see in Africa”, he says.

Democracy cannot be transplanted

But Denmark is after all one of the richest countries in the world. In Swaziland, on the other hand, most of the population live in the rural areas, and two thirds of Swazis survive on less than a dollar a day. This state of affairs is kept in place by the fact that absolute monarch Mswati III has banned political parties, imprisons and tortures dissidents and generally controls all aspects of Swazi society, says Linus Mavimbela .

He therefore doesn’t believe that democracy can be transplanted wholesale from Denmark to Swaziland.

“The heart of what is wrong in Swaziland is lack of democracy, but if you look at the Danish and Swazi systems, there is nothing that we can immediately use. However, not all that long ago Denmark was also an absolute monarchy just like Swaziland, which shows that there is hope for us too”, he says.

Participants not spectators

Linus Mavimbela believes that democracy must be fought for and practised on a practical level as well as theoretically, and with the population at large as participants, not spectators.

“It is very important that the people of Swaziland understand the value of democracy. But it is equally important that that we build institutions and organisations that ingrain democracy in them and continue the debate about democracy after it has been won. When the people have experienced democracy hands-on they will defend it”, he says.

Win from within

But it is one thing to prepare for democracy by civic education and other means, which has been an ongoing process in Swaziland for many years and which is a necessary precondition for any successful democratisation. Actually winning the struggle against a brutal dictatorship is a different and a more dangerous matter altogether, says Linus Mavimbela.

“We therefore have to engage the regime from all angles. We need more pressure from the international community and governments such as the Danish and other EU governments on issues such as human rights abuses and lack of democracy, for sure. But in the end you can only do so much. We need to fight more vigorously to also win the struggle from within – also to show the international community that we are serious about democracy and worth supporting”, he says.

Danish support

Looking out of his hotel window on the vibrant if cool Copenhagen summer evening, Linus tells me that he is happy that Denmark is in fact doing a lot for the cause of democracy in Swaziland already.

“I hope that one day soon we will be able to repay the Danes by turning Swaziland into a democratic state. But as is the case all over the world, democracy is never granted or given. It must be taken and then fought for every day.”