Swaziland @ Newsletter 58

News from and about Swaziland appearing twice monthly, compiled by
Africa Contact (Denmark) from international and local press sources,
and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.

Earlier issues can be read at
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/SAK-Swazinewsletter together with
documents and other materials not included in the regular newsletter.
The site also includes a photographic section which portrays the past,
the present and the people's struggle for a better life and a
democratic future. If you wish to subscribe to the newsletter, please
send mail to: SAK-Swazinewsletter-subscribe@...

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1. Nhlagono police station petrol bombed. Starsky Mkhonta, Swazi
Observer March 3, 2008

2. 16 000 textile workers vote to strike. Fanyana Mabuza, Weekend
Obeserver (Mbabane), March 1, 2008.

3. Parliament marquee petrol bombed before opening session. Sihle
Mavuso (Lobamba), Swazi News Feb 16, 2008.

4. SADC to meet Mandelson on 'divisive' EPAs. Mmegi/The Reporter
(Gaborone), Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com), 3
March 2008.

5. To Relocate Or Not to Relocate? Inter Press Service (Johannesburg),
James Hall (Mbabane), 3 March 2008

6. Political will needed to check hunger. Rome, 21 February 2008 (IRIN).

7. Aggrieved soldiers form secret union. Arthur Mordaunt, Times of
Swaziland (Mbabane), February 20, 2008.

8. Giving orphans "some time of real childhood". Mbabane, 20 February (IRIN).

9. One year since Swaziland's "Afrol affair", Rainer Chr. Hennig,
afrol News, 25 February 2008.

10. IMF Executive Board Concludes 2007 Article IV Consultation with
the Kingdom of Swaziland
Public Information Notice (PIN) No. 08/21, February 19, 2008.

11. Court stays execution of defamation judgement on magazine. Media
Institute of Southern Africa (Windhoek), 28 February 2008.

12. Third International Policy Conference on the African Child Poverty
in Africa. African Child Policy Forum (ACPF). United Nations
Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 12 - 13 May 2008

13. Open invitation to all internationalists: April 12 border blockade
at South African border gates with Swaziland. Join the Swaziland
Solidarity Network action in solidarity with the people of Swaziland.
Contact Swaziland Solidarity Network Head Office: Lucky Lukhele: 072
502 4141, Nkululeko Dlamini: 082 792 3165. Tel: 011 339 3621. Fax: 011
339 4244. Email: ssnnetwork@...
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1. Nhlagono police station petrol bombed. Starsky Mkhonta, Swazi
Observer March 3, 2008

Terrorists have been blamed for yesterday morning's attempt to bomb
the Shiselweni Regional Police headquarters and the Nhlangano Police
Station.The government building was doused with petrol and set alight
- but police officers managed to arrest the fire before such flames
could reach the petrol tanks. Plastic drums still filled with petrol
were also found at the scene.

The culprits gained entrance through a fence. It is said petrol bombs
were thrown all over as well. Police spokesman, Vusi Masuku described
yesterday morning's incident as a despicable act of terror, vowing all
leads would be followed until the culprits are brought to book. He
mentioned that forensic evidence has been collected.

"We condemn this act of terror. Terror is a global enemy and these
culprits would be found and would face the full wrath of the law." He
said those information should assist the police in tracking the petrol
bombers.
_________________________________________

2. 16 000 textile workers vote to strike. Fanyana Mabuza, Weekend
Obeserver (Mbabane), March 1, 2008.

Almost 16 000 workers in the country's textile sector will embark on a
massive strike, come Monday. This comes after the completion of a
ballot exercise, conducted by the Commission for Mediation and
Arbitration Commission CMAC in almost all the textile companies in the
countries. The workers, who are affiliates of the Swaziland
Manufacturing and Allied Workers (SMAWU), 17 000 in total, voted an
overwhelming 93 percent for the strike, while six percent were against
it and one percent abstained.

There are at least 17 000 workers employed in textile firms in
Matsapha and Nhlangano. This then means that 93 percent translates to
15 810 workers who are for the strike.

The results of the balloting exercise were released by CMAC yesterday
and communicated to the stakeholders.

The balloting exercise came about after negotiations over a salary
increase between SMAWU and the Swaziland Textile Employers Association
STEA, stalled last month.

According to the SMAWU leadership, the balloting exercise was the last
step towards solving the impasse after a certificate of an unresolved
dispute was issued by CMAC late last month.

The balloting exercise began last Monday and was completed on
Wednesday, with the results being released yesterday, after the vote
counting exercise. SMAWU Secretary General Alex Fakudze, when called
for comment yesterday expressed his excitement over the results,
saying it was a victory for the workers, who have suffered for a long
time under slave labour and getting slave wages.

Last Wednesday, the Textile Exporters, through a spokesperson slammed
the Union, for what it termed 'irresponsible demands'. They also
appealed for rationality, saying they were also going through a
difficult and lean period in the industry with markets fluctuating.

But Fakudze was adamant that the ballot result was not the workers
will, but a reflection of the horrid conditions and salaries the
workers were labouring under.

"It is all systems go for the strike. We have to tie a few loose ends
like informing the police and asking for their cooperation over this
matter. The 48 hours we have given to STEA, the Labour Commissioner,
and CMAC will have passed by Monday and we will begin our industrial
action which will no doubt bring the industry into a standstill.But if
they can call us back to the table, we will agree, but only before
Monday."

Fakudze stated that the textile workers had gone for a long time
without wage increases, despite their meagre salaries. "The last time
the workers got a pay adjustment was in 2005, which was 4.7percent and
way below the inflation rate. We are demanding 12 percent this time
around, and we are not budging. In reality, even if we can demand 70
percent, it would not make much difference, when looking at the paltry
salaries the workers are currently getting."

Fakudze closed by stating that the workers were long informed of the
pending strike, and they will be informed through the media, that
Monday, that the strike begins.

"Logistics were long taken care of. The workers have only been waiting
for the ballot result. In fact, as we speak, they know what to do come
Monday?.

Yesterday, the Minister of Enterprise and Employment was expected to
make an announcement over the strike action. First a press conference
he had called at his offices floundered for unknown reasons, and later
he instructed journalists to accompany him to the national radio where
he would issue the statement.

But new developments over the issue arose and he had to attend to
them, thus scrapping off even the radio announcement. He is expected
to make a full statement today.

________________________________________

3. Parliament marquee petrol bombed before opening session. Sihle
Mavuso (Lobamba), Swazi News Feb 16, 2008.

The marquee which was set up in Parliament for its official opening
last week Friday was petrol-bombed on the eve of the ceremony.

Ironically, the place was supposed to be under 24 hours surveillance,
more especially because His Majesty King Mswati III and other
dignitaries were going to be there the next morning for the official
opening of Parliament.

This newspaper has it in authority that unknown people threw a petrol
bomb over the fence in Parliament and hit the marquee, which was
slightly damaged. Fortunately the petrol bomb did not explode but
instead fell to the ground and burnt a smaller portion of the tent,
grass and the fire was put out before it did much damage.

The criminals eluded a joint security team by the Umbutfo Swaziland
Defence Force and the Royal Swaziland Police.

This matter has remained a top secret and it was agreed that it be
kept under wraps as it was felt that it may jeopardise the opening of
Parliament. It has been gathered that police are spending sleepless
nights in a bid to book the offender(s).

The Swazi News can reveal that the arsonist hit at around 1am and from
the position where the bomb dropped, it is suspected that they were
standing by the traffic circle next to the Parliament building.

The country has just recovered from a spate of similar bombings where
15 members of the banned political party, the People United Democratic
Movement, (PUDEMO) were arrested. They are currently out on E5 000
bail each. The matter has been pending before court for over a year now.
__________________________________________

4. SADC to meet Mandelson on 'divisive' EPAs. Mmegi/The Reporter
(Gaborone), Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com), 3
March 2008.


The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) group of SADC will meet with
the European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson at the Phakalane
Golf Estate Hotel Resort tomorrow.

In a joint statement issued in Gaborone, the SADC secretariat and
European Commission say the meeting will focus on negotiations for a
full EU-SADC EPA, including liberalisation of trade in services and
rules on investments as well as the implementation of the current
Interim EU-SADC EPA on trade in goods.

The South African media last week warned that SACU faced collapse
after Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland broke ranks with SA and
signed the interim agreement.

But South Africa's chief trade negotiator, Xavier Carim, said: "None
of us are looking at the break-up of the customs union. We will try to
go forward in a way that will not undermine the benefits achieved by
the other countries, but also not undermine Namibia and SA's
positions. The EU has indicated it is prepared to address some of the
problematic issues."

But a Johannesburg newspaper Business Day was insisting that
implementation of the interim agreement was being hampered by SA's
decision to opt out. It said because of conflicting tariff regimes
resulting from SA's opting out, the region would have difficulty
enforcing common external tariffs. For instance, the EU agreed to
reinstate a five percent tariff on beer to shield Namibian brewers
against European imports.

But with SA not party to the agreement, beer imports into SA attract
no tariff, creating a loophole to circumvent the tariff.

Observers fear the meeting, the first since the signing of the Interim
EPA on November 23 last year, is likely to drive a wedge between SADC
countries belonging to the South African Customs Union (SACU) -
Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.

South Africa and Namibia declined signing, while Botswana, alongside
Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique, assented.

The interim agreement was limited to goods, while negotiations for
services and rules on investment were to start this year.

While the EU has agreed to import goods on a duty-free and quota-free
basis except for a transition period for rice and sugar, SADC member
states have up to 2018 to dismantle tariffs on products they have
agreed to liberalise.

SADC countries have safeguarded some sensitive products, such as
Botswana's beef, on which the economic bloc will not tolerate any
tariff reductions.

Current parties to the agreement, except Namibia, have agreed to
continue negotiations for a full EPA, including liberalisation of
trade in services and rules on investments, with a view to concluding
negotiations by end of 2008.

___________________________________________

5. To relocate or not to relocate? Inter Press Service (Johannesburg),
James Hall (Mbabane), 3 March 2008.

Climate change appears to have permanently altered certain areas of
east and southern Swaziland, where good harvests have not been
achieved for over a decade. Agriculture officials and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) now question whether these areas can still
support communities.

"Before donor fatigue sets in, we have no choice but to confront the
obvious. Otherwise we can be accused of turning a blind eye," said
Charles Ndwandwe, an agriculture extension officer in the eastern
Lubombo region, which has never fully recovered from a drought that
devastated the country in 1992.

Climate conditions have also been difficult over recent months. IPS
has ascertained that summer rains failed to materialise in Lavumisa,
in the eastern Lubombo.

This has taken a severe toll on harvests of maize, the staple food of
Swaziland. Maize that was planted in the spring months of November and
December is now largely desiccated due to lack of rainfall (the last
measurable rains in the region are said to have fallen on Dec. 27).

To make matters worse, a heat wave struck Lubombo last month,
prompting the National Emergency Relief Council to express concern
about the situation there.

Such difficulties, coupled with the country's small population and the
availability of other land, have prompted suggestions that Swazis
might be relocated in response to persistent drought.

"There are unused government farms in agriculturally viable parts of
the country. Why not relocate families who cannot scratch out an
existence in Lavumisa and depend on food aid year after year? Food aid
should not be a lifestyle. People become dependent," said Walker
Nkambule, a businessman from Manzini, the commercial hub of the country.

Currently there are state farms lying idle that government economic
planners intend incorporating into large-scale agriculture projects
when funding becomes available. They reject proposals to convert the
land into small subsistence farms, claiming this would not be
economically viable.

"Subsistence farming is very traditional but it only supplements
family income from other sources. Nobody can live on it anymore," said
Ndwandwe.

At present, 80 percent of the population resides on small farms
located on communal land that is overseen by chiefs. Government would
like to see farmers combine their fields into larger co-operative
ventures.

Christopher Fakudze, an economist who works with the Ministry of
Natural Resources to develop water needs projections and water
resource management, disagrees with the proposal to abandon drought
prone areas. "Swaziland is geographically a small place, and there is
no reason why we cannot pipe water to where it is needed."

The large scale projects required to pipe in water would be very
expensive, however.

Amidst widespread poverty, few people can afford to move away from
inhospitable land of their own accord. According to the 2007/2008
United Nations Human Development Report, 47.7 percent of people in
Swaziland live on less than a dollar a day -- and 77.8 percent on less
than two dollars a day.

These figures reflect the widespread joblessness in this Southern
African nation; 2007 statistics from the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation put unemployment in Swaziland at up to 40
percent, a figure that includes people who are too discouraged to seek
work.

Mphilo Dube, a 20-year-old resident of Lavumisa, spent three months
trying to find work at the Matsapha Industrial Estate, where the
country's few factories are concentrated, in central Swaziland. "I
gave up when I got tired of going hungry. At least here I am with my
family," Dube said.

Poverty and climatic hardship elicit a stoic response from many Swazis.

"There is a reason that Swaziland is a stable country despite its
humanitarian crisis. The people are conservative. They prefer hardship
to the unknown that change brings," said a political scientist at the
University of Swaziland.

"This is why people stay in those dusty lifeless areas, and why
government policy has been for poverty alleviation where people live,
rather than relocation."

_______________________________

6. Political will needed to check hunger. Rome, 21 February 2008 (IRIN).

The lack of political will to invest in agriculture has affected the
chances of halving poverty and hunger in Africa by 2015, according to
a senior United Nations official.

"Investment in agriculture, more than other sectors, provides four
times the returns," said Kanayo Nwanze, vice-president of the
International Fund for Agricultural Development, a UN agency working
to end rural poverty.

"There are some countries, like Ghana, which have made tremendous
progress in the last seven years, and Uganda; we could have listed
Kenya [prior to the current political crisis] which are likely to
reach the Millennium Development Goal to halve poverty and hunger by
2015."

Three out of four poor people in developing countries - 883 million -
lived in rural areas in 2002, according to the World Development
Report: Agriculture for Development, the World Bank's flagship
2007report on agriculture.

"Most depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, directly or
indirectly, so a more dynamic and inclusive agriculture could
dramatically reduce rural poverty, helping to meet the Millennium
Development Goal on poverty and hunger," said the Bank's first
analysis of agriculture since 1982, which cited several success
stories to illustrate its point that investing in food production can
reduce poverty.

Africa has had some success, particularly in Ghana, where agriculture
drove the poverty rate down from 51.7 percent in 1991/92 to 39.5
percent in 1998/99, and then to 28.5 percent. Between 2001 and 2005,
agriculture grew at 5.7 percent a year, faster than the overall gross
domestic product of 5.2 percent.

Since 2001, smallholder-based cocoa production has contributed about
30 percent of agricultural expansion, and "Ghana has also enjoyed
strong growth in horticulture (almost 9 percent of total exports in
2006) driven mostly by pineapples," the World Bank report noted.
Uganda adopted economic policies that have resulted in a boom in
coffee production.

Asia provides many more examples of effective policy decisions by
governments boosting agricultural growth: in Vietnam, land reform, and
trade and price liberalisation were implemented; in Bangladesh new
technologies have brought rising rural farm and non-farm earnings,
with lower prices for rice, the staple food.

"Agriculture was also the key to China's massive and unprecedented
reduction in rural poverty, and to India's slower but still
substantial long-term decline [in the number of rural poor]," the
World Bank report pointed out.

Asia is reaping the fruits of the green revolution in the 1970s, while
African leaders failed to tap into that momentum, Nwanze said. "Look
at India - in the 1960s it was listed as a hopeless case, while in the
same period not a single African country was listed as food insecure.
Thirty years later India became a food exporter and look at Africa."

Asian governments provided farmers with credit, price support, and
input subsidies. "In sub-Saharan Africa, governments also intervened
heavily in markets, but agriculture was taxed more than in other
regions - and it still is," the World Bank report commented.

Although Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe initiated maize-based
revolutions using hybrid seed and fertiliser, the programmes have been
difficult to sustain due to high marketing costs, fiscal drain and
frequent weather shocks.

Much needs to be done

Besides reducing poverty, Africa needs to invest in agriculture, as
demand for food is expected to reach $100 billion by 2015, double the
level in 2000.

The report suggested improved price incentives, increasing the quality
and quantity of public investment; greater efficiency in product
markets; effective access to financial services, with reduced exposure
to uninsured risks; enhancing the performance of producer
organisations; and promoting innovation through science and
technology. Agriculture should be made more sustainable and a provider
of environmental services.

A recent joint report by the US-based Michigan State University and
the US Agency for International Development (USAID) attempted to take
a closer look at the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa
and why an "African green revolution" has not happened yet.

"While many farms in Asia were similarly very small at the time of
their green revolutions, many of them enjoyed irrigation, higher
returns to fertiliser that could be achieved with water control, and
more than one cropping season," said authors Thom Jayne, professor of
international development at Michigan State University; David Mather,
formerly at Michigan State University; and the World Bank's Elliot
Mghenyi.

"These factors substantially improved Asian land productivity, and
partially relieved the severity of the land constraint among small
farms. By contrast, the vast majority of African farms are dependent
on rain and one crop season per year. "

Nwanze noted that "In Africa, unlike Asia, you have a very patchy
farming system - it is not homogenous, like Asia." The colonial legacy
had left much of Africa with severe land inequalities between
smallholders, large-scale or state-owned farms, highlighting the need
for land reform.

The World Bank report also listed the need for infrastructure
development, the lack of which has increased transaction costs and
market risks, and investment in fertilisers and irrigation.

About 75 percent of the farmland in Africa is affected by severe
mining of soil nutrients, and in Sub-Saharan Africa only four percent
of crop area is irrigated, a fraction of that in Asia.

A lack of investment in research and development is another obstacle.
The main green revolution cereals in Asia were wheat and rice, largely
irrigated; sub-Saharan Africa uses a wide range of farming systems and
a broad number of staples. Improved varieties for many different crops
would be needed to increase productivity.

Technologies developed in other parts of the world were often not
directly transferable, and Africa-specific technologies would be
required to improve the region's agricultural productivity.
__________________

7. Aggrieved soldiers form secret union. Arthur Mordaunt, Times of
Swaziland (Mbabane), February 20, 2008.

Following failed attempts to set up a legitimate union, aggrieved
soldiers are now alleged to be in a move to operate through an
underground organisation.

Although officially the army is not aware of the organisation, the
Times and several other organisations have received documents claiming
its underground existence.

The group goes by the name of Swaziland Revolution and Liberation
Force (SRLF), alias Sagila Sesive and it comprises "oppressed
officers, discharged members of the force, unfairly discharged troops
and young men rejected at recruitment."

The army chiefs have since been informed of the secret moves and have
launched investigations into the reports.

It is not clear whether this new formation is a political organisation
or a labour movement, but it has declared that it is an underground
movement. So secretive is this organisation that even its
documentation, particularly that which is meant as correspondence
between Sagila Sesive and its sympathisers is handwritten.

This, states the organisation, is meant to avoid being traced, taking
into consideration the supposedly advanced technology used by
intelligence agencies in the country.

The Times is in the possession of copies of some of this
correspondence, which had been written to some local political and
labour organisations, notifying them of Sagila's existence. The army,
King's Office and two government ministries (Foreign Affairs and
Public Service) have also been informed.

Notified

Externally, the American government (through its embassy), the African
National Congress (ANC) as well as the United Nations (UN) have been
notified.

Sagila Sesive (The country's knobkerrie) is also aimed at fighting
alleged corruption within the ranks of the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence
Force (USDF).

The organisation stated that it was not happy about certain leaders in
the army. It also stated that it sympathised and shared a similar
vision with those who are against the Tinkhundla system of governance.

Part of its mission cannot be repeated due to national security
interests. National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU)
Secretary General Vincent Dlamini said they had not formally received
the correspondence, but said it was an interesting idea, which would
be dealt with once they had seen the correspondence. His counterpart
at Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), Jan Sithole, also
stated that they had not seen the notification.

Army Public Relations Officer Captain Khanya Dlamini also said his
office had not received the correspondence, but later said they were
going to launch serious investigations into the matter. He said he had
already briefed some of the army superiors about the issue.

Principal Secretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry Clifford Mamba
said he was currently out of the country and, therefore, was not aware
of the letter. His ministry is in charge of the army.

_______________________________

8. Giving orphans "some time of real childhood". Mbabane, 20 February (IRIN).

The hubbub generated by the 70-odd children tearing around a sunny
three-room building belies their vulnerability: most of them have been
orphaned as a result of Swaziland's AIDS pandemic, but here they have
found safety and support.

Ngwane Park Care Point, set in a large yard, was the first urban
neighbourhood pre-school in Manzini, Swaziland's commercial centre,
but six others have been established in the past two years. Besides
the 70 children that attend classes, 350 drop in for the day's main
meal, served at 2.00 p.m.

With 30 percent of Swazi children having lost one or both parents due
to AIDS, the neighbourhood care points have become a real refuge.
"This is particularly true in towns, where children can get lost. This
is a community care point, and that means it is sponsored by the
community," said Banele Mnisi, 26, a volunteer teacher.

"I teach them basics like the alphabet, days of the week, simple math
and writing ... But mostly it is about socialising, bringing these
kids out of their isolation," said her colleague, Cindi Mdluli. "Each
community has an 'action group' of adult volunteers who look after a
centre. They go out and locate all the orphans and vulnerable children
and bring them here."

Both teachers earn a volunteer's monthly allowance of just US$66, but
say their lives have been uplifted by the work. For the children, a
guaranteed hot meal five days a week is a powerful motivation for
attending.

"We would like to provide meals seven days a week. Obtaining food is
not a problem, the World Food Programme [WFP] is a provider, and so is
AMICAALL [the Alliance of Mayors' Initiative on Community Action on
AIDS at the Local Level]; many Manzini businesses contribute food,
people bring vegetables from their home gardens, and fruits," said
Khanyisile Mamba, a programme officer for AMICAALL.

"The challenge is getting allowances for the cooks," explained Zelda
Nhlabatsi, who coordinates AMICAALL's AIDS programmes in Manzini.
"They work hard and are volunteers, and they see the weekends as
rest-time. If we could fund a modest pay for them, the children could
come even on Saturday and Sunday, and use the grounds for play and
recreation."

Samuel Dlamini, 6, is the son of a single mother; his attendance at
the care point lessens the danger and isolation of staying alone at
home. Healthy and boisterous, like other children his age, he had just
intervened in an altercation where an older girl was bullying a
younger child.

"I told them to break it up, and settle their fight in the wrestling
ring if they want. They laughed and called me muscle head," he said,
proudly pointing to his T-shirt showing a muscle-bound Latino
wrestler. "That's part of the socialisation process. It's what the
care point is all about," said teacher Mdluli.

Health as well

Healthcare is equally important. Children's Cup, an organisation
supported by a US-based religious group, is a principal sponsor of the
growing network of Manzini neighbourhood centres. It operates a clinic
in the peri-urban area of Manzini and has a van that visits all the
care points daily, transporting children with minor ailments to the
clinic.

"Children with more serious problems, and children with HIV or AIDS,
are taken to the [specialist] Baylor Clinic in [the capital] Mbabane,"
said AMICAALL's Mamba. Children's Cup also provides food and other
support to the care points themselves.

"We are focusing on the peri-urban areas because these are growing.
Urban migration is bringing people to town in search of jobs, and they
stay at informal settlements, which is hard on children," said
Nhlabatsi. She is working to sign up the two newest care points with
WFP and other donor agencies so the children can be entitled to
assistance.

Despite all the goodwill, the centres face serious challenges,
reflecting the poverty in the neighbourhoods. "None of the care points
have electricity. We can't install electricity until we have a
guarantee that the community will pay for it, the way they have agreed
to pay the water bills. But the action committees are having a hard
time collecting money for the water. It's a struggle," said Mamba.

"Without water we are not able to cook," said Gogo Zwane, the head
cook at Ngwane Park. She and her assistants keep two huge three-legged
iron pots simmering with porridge, beans and cabbage, the children's
staple meal. "These care points are so important because they keep
kids from falling through the cracks - they give to these children
some time of real childhood. It's lovely to be here."
______________________________

9. One year since Swaziland's "Afrol affair", Rainer Chr. Hennig,
afrol News, 25 February 2008.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the "Afrol affair" in
Swaziland, as Swazi media were obliged to apologise to King Mswati III
over a reprinted news story originating from afrol News. According to
media analysts, the apology and retraction of the "insulting" news
story caused a big blow to press freedom in the authoritarian kingdom.

On 18 March 2007, the 'Times of Swaziland Sunday' carried a story from
afrol News about the findings of a recent study by the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) that included the afrol News editors' analysis of
the IMF evaluation. The analysis criticised the Swazi government and
King for excessive spending on any issue not related to tackle the
poverty, AIDS and droughts plaguing the Swazi population. After
pressure, the 'Times' issued an apology on 22 March, and the 'Times
Sunday' issued the same apology on 25 March.

The original IMF study summarised the 2006-07 economic situation of
Swaziland. It concluded that Swaziland has very low GDP growth due to
"a substantial real appreciation of the lilangeni during 2002-04,
erosion of trade preferences, recurrent drought, and stagnant
investment." While the IMF report did not mention the King or the
royal family, it did refer to "rising government expenditures" as one
source of the problem. The afrol News analysis went into this issue,
which was understood as a rather sharp criticism by the typically very
diplomatic IMF reports.

The analysis thus intimated that the problems facing Swaziland, which
the IMF were referring to, stemmed from "poor governance, corruption
and the private spending of authoritarian King Mswati III and his
large royal family." It also stated that there was a "lessening
interest of donors to support King Mswati's regime." This analysis
leaned on afrol News' previous reporting on Swaziland and referred to
well-known incidents and trends.

This analysis was reprinted by the 'Times of Swaziland Sunday'. The
'Times' is known as the most independent media in Swaziland, a country
where most of the press is controlled by government and where
"independent" media only survive when practicing self-censorship. The
'Times' since 2001, thus part of a Southern Africa media network, has
had the right to freely republish afrol News articles and analyses.

The 'Times', also the most sold Swazi newspaper, has been in constant
trouble with royal authorities, leading it to censor its reporting.
Also the controversial afrol News article was significantly censored
by the 'Times'. The original article goes on to say this: "There is
little confidence in Swaziland's future as long as long-awaited
democratic reforms are not carried out. Investors and donors expect
that a revolution may be around the corner and prefer to do their
deals with the next, democratic rulers of Swaziland." This was not
reprinted by the 'Times'.

Still, the article caused government fury. King Mswati III himself
demanded a retraction and an excuse from the 'Times' publisher.
Otherwise, he threatened, the independent media house "African Echo",
the group that owns the 'Times', would be shut down.

'Time' publisher Paul Loffler and the managing editor were faced with
an ultimatum. They thus did not wait long to publish an apology,
stating that the article was "disparaging to the person of His Majesty
in its content, greatly embarrassed him and should not have" been
published.

Media analysts deplored the quick and total apology by the Swazi
editor. The influential Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) held
that the "Times of Swaziland fail[ed] the Swazi people," claiming the
last independent newspaper in the Kingdom had "given up the fight for
media freedom. This is a great disservice to the Swazi people," it
added.

In its monitoring of the media freedom and freedom of expression
environment in Swaziland, MISA Swaziland during the last years
increasingly has reported on attempts by the palace to curtail
independent reporting by media through sheer intimidation. The press
freedom group held that the "interactions between a Head of State and
the publisher of the country?s main newspaper" in the affair one year
ago was "evidence of major editorial interference."

MISA said the issues raised in the controversial article should be "a
matter of debate for the public and economists in Swaziland," adding
that the newspaper was "obliged" to inform the public about the
analysis made.

The warnings issued by MISA in March 2007 only partly have proven to
fulfil. The 'Times' still remains the most independent media of
Swaziland, still "crossing the line" of freedom tolerated by the royal
government when deemed necessary to inform the people. Equally,
government attacks and interference have not decreased.

On 27 January this year, the 'Times' again revealed excessive personal
spending by the government as Prime Minister Themba Dlamini took his
pastor with him when he went on a government-paid trip to the Bahamas.
Two days after, the 'Times' had "a grovelling front page apology to
the Prime Minister, the Swazi Cabinet and just about everybody else,"
according to the 'Swaziland Media Commentary'.

__________________________

10. IMF Executive Board Concludes 2007 Article IV Consultation with
the Kingdom of Swaziland. Public Information Notice (PIN) No. 08/21,
February 19, 2008.

Public Information Notices (PINs) form part of IMF efforts to promote
transparency of IMF views and analysis of economic developments and
policies. With the consent of the country (or countries) concerned,
PINs are issued after Executive Board discussions of Article IV
consultations with member countries, of its surveillance of
developments at the regional level, of post-program
monitoring, and of ex post assessments of member countries with
longer-term program engagements. PINs are also issued after Executive
Board discussions of general policy matters, unless otherwise decided
by the Executive Board in a particular case.

On February 6, 2008, the Executive Board of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with the Kingdom of
Swaziland.

Background

The Swazi economy remains stagnant. Real GDP growth has averaged just
over 2 percent in the past six years. Per capita GDP growth is lagging
behind other members of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and
low and lower-middle income countries. The slow pace of economic
reforms has worsened the investment climate, and the erosion of
preferential treatment for Swaziland?s exports of textile and sugar,
combined with declining competitiveness and weak institutional
capacity have further contributed to the weakened output performance.
Years of persistently low growth have led to stubbornly high poverty,
inequality and unemployment, and Swaziland has a high prevalence of
HIV/AIDS.

High SACU revenue contributed to a record fiscal surplus and
accumulation of international reserves to 3.4 months of imports.
Despite stronger import growth, the external current account deficit
narrowed in 2007, owing to stronger demand for Swaziland?s major
export, soft drink concentrate, the extension of the African Growth
and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which benefited exports of textiles, and
higher SACU transfers. Inflation has risen sharply since 2006
reflecting rising food and oil prices.

Broad money has expanded sharply during the past two years, mainly
reflecting the rise in net foreign assets of the banking system. While
credit to the government has declined, due to the surpluses arising
from SACU receipts, growth in lending to the private sector slowed
only moderately from 22 percent in 2006 to 19 percent in 2007.

The outlook is subject to several risks arising out of the uncertainty
surrounding SACU revenues, the external environment and emerging
financial sector vulnerabilities.

Executive Board Assessment

Executive Directors expressed concern that Swaziland?s economic growth
continues to lag behind that of most other lower middle income
countries. Directors recognized that the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the
erosion of trade preferences, and recurrent droughts, have adversely
affected economic performance. Against this challenging background,
Directors encouraged the authorities to use the window of opportunity
provided by the current high levels of revenues from the SACU to
accelerate reforms aimed at securing macroeconomic stability and
addressing impediments to higher growth and poverty reduction.

Directors emphasized the need to ensure fiscal sustainability and
safeguard priority spending given the expected decline in SACU
revenues after 2010. They recommended that in setting fiscal policy,
the authorities focus on a measure of the fiscal deficit that excludes
SACU revenues, as this would help to highlight the scale of the needed
adjustment and smooth expenditure over the longer term.

Directors considered that the burden of the fiscal adjustment would
have to fall primarily on spending, and in this context, expressed
concern about the sharp increase in expenditures in 2007/08. Directors
stressed the importance of civil service reform and reorienting
spending to priority areas. They also noted that privatization of
enterprises that are currently a burden on the budget could provide
additional fiscal space for much-needed social programs, while
improving the environment for private sector development. Directors
welcomed the ongoing effort to improve expenditure monitoring and
strengthen the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, which would enhance
budget planning and transparency, and protect pro-growth and pro-poor
spending. They encouraged the authorities to implement the
recommendations of the World Bank?s public expenditure review.
Directors recommended that expenditure savings be complemented, over
time, by improvements in revenue administration and the implementation
of a package of revenue measures, including the introduction of a
Value Added Tax (VAT).

Directors agreed that Swaziland?s monetary and exchange rate regime
has served the country well. The fixed rate of the lilangeni to the
South African rand under the Common Monetary Area is underpinned by
close economic integration with South Africa. To safeguard Swaziland?s
net external position and the currency peg, Directors stressed the
need to supplement the medium-term policy for fiscal sustainability
with structural reforms to improve the business environment and
strengthen competitiveness.

Directors commended the authorities? effort in rebuilding
international reserves to support confidence in the peg. Noting the
recent buildup of government deposits in banks outside Swaziland, they
advised the transfer of all government foreign currency deposits to
the Central Bank of Swaziland.

Directors welcomed the progress made in strengthening commercial bank
supervision, while encouraging continued efforts to ensure timely
compliance by all banks with prudential regulations. Directors noted
the importance of strengthening supervision of the savings and credit
cooperative sector, which has been growing rapidly. Timely passage of
pending legislation aimed at improving supervision of the financial
system would be important in this connection.

Directors commended the authorities for the steps taken to develop a
framework for insurance and pension funds. At the same time, they
advised the authorities to exercise caution in enforcing the domestic
investment requirement, as it could expose investors to the risk of
low or negative returns due to the limited number of domestic
investment opportunities.

Directors welcomed the authorities? poverty reduction strategy and
action program (PRSAP), and their accelerated efforts to address the
HIV/AIDS epidemic and food security situation. They stressed that
effective implementation would require greater efforts to ensure that
the PRSAP is consistent with a medium-term expenditure framework that
supports macroeconomic stability, and perseverance with
growth-enhancing and employment-creating reforms. Directors noted
that, to address the challenges ahead, Swaziland would need
international support, which should be grounded on decisive action on
policy reform by the authorities.

__________________________________

11. Court stays execution of defamation judgement on magazine. Media
Institute of Southern Africa (Windhoek), 28 February 2008.

"The Nation" magazine of Swaziland has recorded a rare media victory
in the country through a High Court decision to grant the publication
a reprieve in a case in which they had been ordered to pay over
US$15,000 for defamation.

On 22 February 2008, the High Court of Swaziland granted the privately
owned "Nation" magazine an order for a stay of execution on a recent
default judgement that awarded a government official E120,000 (approx.
US$15,000) for an allegedly defamatory article published by the
magazine.

The magazine's editor, Bheki Makhubu, filed the application to set
aside the default judgement granted by the High Court on 1 February in
favour of the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare, Sikelela Dlamini.

He said the article constituted fair comment in the public interest as
it pertained to public funds and figures. He contended that the facts
commented on were truly stated facts concerning Dlamini in his
capacity as a public figure in an issue involving the procurement of
drugs for the public by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in
which Dlamini serves as Under Secretary.

In his application, Makhubu said he had no knowledge of the judgement
against his publication until a reporter from a daily newspaper
contacted him about it. He said confirmation of the existence of the
judgement was then published in the "Times of Swaziland" newspaper on
8 February.

He contended that, in any event, the amount claimed and even the
amount awarded as damages to Dlamini was highly excessive, uneconomic
and shocking, and not in keeping with comparable awards to public
officials of Dlamini's stature.

High Court Justice Stanley Maphalala granted a stay of execution of
the judgement and the matter will now follow the normal court procedure.

______________________________________________

12. Third International Policy Conference on the African Child Poverty
in Africa. African Child Policy Forum (ACPF). United Nations
Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 12 - 13 May 2008

Background

Extreme poverty remains a serious and, in some cases, growing problem
in the developing world, especially in Africa. It is particularly
serious and alarming amongst children. Yet the problem of child
poverty, especially in developing countries, is neither fully
documented nor directly addressed in the formulation of economic and
even anti-poverty strategies and policies.

Child poverty is intricately linked with child rights. Fulfilment of
children's rights is largely dependent on access to an adequate
standard of living. That is why Article 27 of the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC) spells out the duty of State parties to
recognise the right of every child "to a standard of living adequate
for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social
development."

Child poverty is a major, possibly the biggest obstacle for the
fulfilment of rights in Africa. Our knowledge of it, however, is
limited. What little we know is based on scattered empirical data and
anecdotal evidence. We don't know enough about the nature, dimension
and magnitude of the problem. Nor do we know enough about what is
being done to address it or how to deal with it.

Hence, the rationale for The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) to
organise the Third International Policy Conference on the African
Child, on the theme of Child Poverty. The conference will engage
policy makers, child rights activists, children's organisations and
researchers from within Africa and around the world and address key
issues that ought to be at the forefront of the development agenda.

Objectives:

The objectives of this conference are to:
- draw attention to the issue of child poverty in Africa
- exchange information on the nature, measurement and dimensions of
child poverty and policy experiences
- initiate dialogue on areas for future research and policy work with
special attention to entry points having the greatest impact on children


Partners and participants:

The conference will be organised in partnership with international
child rights and development agencies. International Child Support
(ICS), ILO, IOM, Plan International, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF have
expressed interest to join hands in the organisation of the
Conference. Participants will include government policy makers, child
experts and researchers, child rights activists and children's
organisations from within Africa and around the world.

Conference Programme:

The conference programme includes sessions on: Child rights, child
wellbeing and child poverty. International and African perspectives of
child poverty.Poverty through the eyes of the African child.
International and African experiences in dealing with child poverty

Be a part of this important conference and look for more updates.
Contact: Sarah Pallesen, e-mail: pallesen@...
______________________________________________

13. OPEN INVITATION TO ALL INTERNATIONALISTS: APRIL 12 BORDER BLOCKADE
IN SOUTH AFRICAN BORDER GATES WITH SWAZILAND.

JOIN THE SWAZILAND SOLIDARITY NETWORK ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE
PEOPLE OF SWAZILAND.


The 12th April, 1973 marked a major set back for the working class and
the poor people of Swaziland. On this day 35 years ago a new era in
the political life of Swaziland was pronounced when king Sobhuza
proclaimed a perpetual state of emergency, whose provisions, amongst
other things, included; the banning of political parties, enforcing a
60 days detention order without trial, banning marches and
demonstrations and the removal of the independence constitution and
its replacement with a draconian order called the 1973 king's decree.

Under these circumstances the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN),
declared April, 2008 as the Month of Focus on Swaziland, in full
recognition of the 35 years of royal slavery and Tinkhundla oppression
in Swaziland. 35 years later nothing much has changed and the state of
repression has continued unabated.

The People's demands:

1. We call for a democratically elected National Constitutional Forum

2. We demand the immediate un-banning of all progressive
political parties as the first precondition TO ensure the full
involvement of civil society in Swaziland in the process of
democratising this country.

3. We also demand the unconditional release of all political
prisoners as a precondition to this process.

4. We demand the removal of all laws that inhibit political
activity to ensure that the participation of the people of Swaziland
is uninhibited by authoritarian actions by the current Royal regime.

5. We call for the isolation of the tinkundla regime from all
interference with the political dispensation of the country.

6. The abuse of basic worker rights in Swaziland is of deep
concern to SSN and all democratic forces in South Africa. We demand
that business respects worker rights.

7. We call on the South African Department of Foreign Affairs,
SADC, AU and the Commonwealth to publicly join the ever-growing number
of voices expressing serious concern posed by the undemocratic Swazi
regime, particularly the urgent need for Swaziland to comply to the
AU's Charter on Human and People's Rights, and the SADC's Principles
and guidelines on democratic, free and fair elections.

For more information in all areas:

Lukwatini for Oshoek border gate: Charles Mabuza: 073 605 9915
Pitretief for Mahamba border gate: Nathin Dlamini: 082 416 1995
Nkomazi for Mananga border gate: Eric Nkosi 083 109 9907
Nkomazi for Jepeesreef (Matsamo) border gate: 079 873 4543

Mpumalanga Coodinator Fidel Mlombo: 079 025 0251, Kwazulu Natal (KZN)
Co-odinators are as follows: Phakama Ndunakazi SSN :082 455 1823, Fato
Bhengu SSN/SACP:073 928 1586, Khaye Nkwanyana YCL/ SSN 083 726 4857

Swaziland Solidarity Network Head Office and for solidarity messages
please contact: Lucky Lukhele : 072 502 4141, Nkululeko Dlamini: 082
792 3165. Tel: 011 339 3621. Fax: 011 339 4244
Email: ssnnetwork@...

_______________________________________________

Swaziland Newsletter is published by Africa Contact (Denmark) and
distributed to more than 1200 national and international
organisations, research institutes, universities, trade unions and
labour movements, political parties, church organisations, print and
electronic media, governments, diplomatic missions, members of
parliament, parliamentary committees and private individuals in
Southern Africa, Europe and the United States of America.

Support the democratic movement in Swaziland: MANDELA FUND: BG Bank,
Norre Voldgade 68, 1358 Copenhagen K, Denmark. SWIFT-BIC: DABADKKK.
Registration Number: 0274. Account Number: 3327000. The MANDELA FUND
is a registered national collection in Denmark.