Swaziland@Newsletter Extra

SWAZILAND: SYSTEMATIC DEGENERATION FROM CRISIS TO SOCIAL CONFLICT

A PAPER PRESENTED BY PUDEMO CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO THE
AMBASSADORS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

MBABANE (Swaziland), 4TH JUNE 2008.


THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN!

Introduction

The Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) views this moment of
consultation with the European Union Ambassadors in this region as a
great opportunity in which experiences and views will be shared
between us on the socio economic and political landscape of our
country, Swaziland. It is not only a great opportunity for us, but it
is the only means available for us to express ourselves to the current
government in Swaziland ? an opportunity and right not availed us.

We realise, however, that we live in an abnormal society where we, in
such a small country, as stake holders, are dismally far apart and are
failing to solve our socio political and economic challenges in a
conference situation as this ourselves. This, then, must be an
indication to you as to what kind of environment we, the partners of
the people of Europe and the member states live in.

The consultations have come at a time when we needed them most, when
the country is undergoing various national experiences and functions
which we will deal with at later stage of this presentation. It comes
at a time when Swaziland, under the SADC is faced with a challenge to
take more responsibilities that will reflect more of its internal
operative character and be permeated in her discharge of the duties
given her.

PUDEMO wish to give honour to the European Union, and in particular,
the Head of Delegation, Mr. Peter Beck Christiansen for the
unequivocal statement delivered on the occasion of the commemoration
of European Union Day at the Mountain Inn, Mbabane on Monday the 2nd
June 2008. Indeed, lack of good governance and constructive dialogue
is certain brew for enxiety, mistrust and distabilization and
unnecessary conflict within citizens and nations of this world.

Swaziland at this Conjuncture

PUDEMO firmly associates and believe in the Declaration on Fundamental
Human Rights as an international guide and convention for human equity
and satisfaction. We also believe in the pledge by member states,
including Swaziland, towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDG),
whose broader objective is to protect the peoples' fundamental human
rights and to promote social and economic progress and better living
standards within the larger freedoms of human kind

This pledge is a promissory note to each citizen of our countries,
signed by those in authority, and we will not accept any 'bad cheques'
as part of delivery or none of it under the promise. None of the MDGs
is lesser important than the other, but the eradication of poverty and
hunger, achievement of universal primary education, combating
HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases and the reduction of child
mortality determines the level of commitment, will and delivery by any
member state on these goals.

The Swaziland government is failing to meet these demands as stated in
their report in 2006. But the major reason for this failure is the
lack of setting and planning on national priorities.

The central challenge, however, in the hardship is the role that is
played or not played by the monarchy institution. PUDEMO identifies
the root of the crisis in the main 'national question' ? what and
where is the problem in Swaziland? Any attempt towards resolving the
crisis without addressing the national question would merely be
attempting cosmetic reformism, dealing with the symptoms (so to speak)
and not the root causes. In Swaziland we must identify as to who
wields the power in decision making, dispensing expenditure and on
what ? here the monarch is in total control and neither the
legislative, cabinet nor the masses of our people.

The welfare of the people rests on the honesty or otherwise of those
in authority in any country. National assets, wealth and executive
authority is vested in those in authority which gives them the ability
to divert or use same for their personal benefit.

That, in Swaziland, the Tibiyo TakaNgwane is controlled in the
royalty and that ordinary Swazis are made to compete with the monarchy
in the economic market rubs salt into the wound and places all
aspiring small entrepreneurs and citizens in an unfair economic play
field. The level of corruption has reached alarming proportions with
the Minister of Finance announcing that there are millionaire cabinet
ministers; that the country loses over E40million a month to
corruption and cases involving corruption remaining unprocessed. The
wanton expenditure by those in authority; the recruitment and
expansion of the security forces and uncontrolled royal trips continue
to drain the national coffers and push the majority poor Swazi citizen
deeper into poverty and certain death, and on the other side fatten
the minority even more.

All this happens at the backdrop of a shrinking economy; abject
poverty, poor health policy, drought, high education and soaring food
costs.

"The Swazi citizens are further given a flogging by higher service
charges and more expensive public and private goods given that
prices are not set by open market economy. A people centred economy
demands that this 'evil hand' be removed from the market in order to
allow both the costs of doing business and prices to converge at the
optima".


Economic Justice Network Swaziland
World Social Forum, Nairobi, Kenya 20 ? 25th January 2007.

The crisis facing the country are also remnants of a national
constitution whose establishing process, contents and implications we
have made known in the past consultations with yourselves. PUDEMO
maintains her position that the constitutional making process was
royally managed, and eventually produced a royal desired product,
which is a document that 'constitutionally embraced' the 1973 King's
Proclamation, and thus 'constitutionally' gave the monarch all
executive powers that he exercises absolutely or through bodies
appointed by him.

That the constitution is now supreme law in Swaziland does not render
it a people driven and owned document, and we will do all means
possible to make our justifiable reasons heard by those in power. In
spite of these shortcomings, we are prepared to engage in constructive
dialogue towards a true democratically established national
constitution.

In 2007, the High Court ordered that the Prime Minister set in place a
Commission of Inquiry into the tortures and ill-treatment of our
members in prisons in the country. These are PUDEMO members who were
suspects in the bombing incidents way back in 2005. Firstly, it took
the Prime Minister some six months to announce the commission, and by
that time, of course, any physical evidence of torture would have
naturally healed. Secondly, the Commissioners finished their
investigations late in 2007 and delivered their findings to the Prime
Minister but over six months later the report is gathering dust in his
office.

We call on the Prime Minister to release this report immediately
without any further delay.

Court Cases

PUDEMO, in association with other members of the civic movement,
challenged the authenticity of the constitutional process, seeking for
the courts to rule for a democratic process. It is history now that
the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled against our prayer for various
reasons. This does not mean, we wish to mention, that all is lost,
the major battles are 'fought on the battle field' and not at
conference rooms.

There is also a court case pending before the High Court on the
interpretation of the constitution as regards the position on
political parties. The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the High
Court must hear this case before the end of June 2008 to allow for any
appeals before the forth coming national elections are held.

We would have opted for an immediate hearing of this matter, but the
regime has opted to proceed with the registration of voters in
disregard of the possibility of the ruling.


National Elections

The process towards national elections has already begun, as said
earlier, under abnormal environment in that:

The process is based and underpinned by a constitution denying
people their right to associate as espoused by the Declaration on
Fundamental Human Rights, the Harare Declaration, the African Charter
on Human and People?s Rights and the SADC Principles and Procedures on
national elections. This is endorsed by a constitution that (firstly)
acknowledges a Bill of Rights and (then), in Section 79, prohibits the
same rights.

The Pre-elections era is clouded in acute doubts and ill-preparedness
as the expected voters still have basic questions on what they are
voting for. There is supposed to have been an independent civic
education to inform the public on what elections are for, what choices
they have and what rights they have before putting their crosses. The
appointment of the Elections and Border Commission has caused anxiety
due to their legal standing, and their supposed independence.

The process is managed from the throne as it is the king who issues
orders through the traditional and other structures, and culturally,
people do not question him.


The media in the country is partisan and only state aligned
information is permitted time on the state electric media, in
particular.

This Commission was allowed to execute its duties before an Act of
Parliament was tabled, debated and approved. The Minister of Justice,
when queried on this, said that bringing the Act to parliament was a
mere formality, and this is why we have always said that a legislative
under the tinkhundla government is only a 'rubber-stamping'
institution without its own independence and enjoys no power.

The regime has already invited the international community to bring in
observers during the election process, and we believe that agreeing to
this invitation means legitimizing an undemocratic and illegitimate
process. We fully agree with what the Commonwealth Expert Team said
of the 2003 similar elections, that:

"We do not regard the credibility of these National Elections as an
issue: no elections can be credible when they are for a parliament
which does not have power and when political parties are banned?"

The Team also observed that:

"The ban on political parties has damaged Swaziland. It denies the
right to freedom of association and prevents the formulation of
national manifestoes, programmes and platforms on which candidates ?
and a potential government ? can be judged by the voters. It also
removes the opportunity for the democracy and transparency in
candidate selection which party process can bring".
We believe, therefore, that before elections are examined as free or
fair by any observer, one has to determine if they are, in the first
place, democratic as stated above by the Commonwealth Secretariat
Expert Team. We humbly urge the European Union Ambassadors to make a
decisive position of whether you wish to be part of an undemocratic
process for the sake of legitimizing it.


Double Celebrations in Swaziland

In September 2008, the king will be celebrating his 40th birthday, in
conjunction with the country's 40th anniversary of 'independence'.
PUDEMO has no problem with the king having his private birthday party,
but we have reservations when these parties are politicised and put on
the tax payers' account to the region of E100milion. These
celebrations are held in a country experiencing the worst in poverty,
need for primary health care and many other forms of want. Some of
the members of the European Union are witnesses to this as they are
donors for a number of NGO's here.

We are aware that some of the world's leaders have been invited and
will attend the celebrations with the king and his family members.
Our plea to you and other would-be guests is that please note that
while dining in those palaces and hotels, hundreds of Swazi people
would have had no simple meal for days. Please also note that
thousands of Swazi people are dying in unkept drugless health centres
and that many more children are rendered homeless orphans and are
destitute.

PUDEMO believes that such occasions are extravagant, costly and
unwarranted and, instead, these funds be diverted towards the poorest
and disadvantaged our Swazi brothers and sisters.

Early last year, a world wide known commentator publication on the
global politics, AfroNews, wrote about Swaziland as follows:

"The relatively small economic growth during the last six years has
increasingly gone towards government spending. While in other
countries this could have meant improved social services and wealth
for the ordinary population, Swaziland is increasingly paralyzed by
poor governance, corruption and the private spending of the
authoritarian King Mswati 111 and his large royal family. The growing
social crisis in the country and the lessening interest of donors to
support King Mswati's regime has also created escalating needs for
social services beyond the scale of national budgets".


Our Positions on these Issues

We have brought to the international community's attention these
experiences of the people of Swaziland and we are aware and expect
that the state will also present their own version of events. It is
our belief that time is not on our side, the people get more
frustrated by the day, and their patience will one day run out. After
the court rulings on the human rights, we are, unfortunately pushed
towards the wall with very limited alternatives in the quench for our
freedom.

We are, never-the-less, still committed to a constructive national
dialogue for the solutions of our problems.

PUDEMO unconditionally believes and respects the Declaration on
Fundamental Human Rights and all the other continental and regional
covenants aimed at giving people their liberties without repression.
What is being done in Swaziland falls far too short of these
conventions.

We are not about to forsake our principles and allow ourselves to
legitimize an illegitimate regime and succumb to undemocratic
practices of dictatorship. In this regard, the organization is in the
process of mobilizing for protests and education on what democratic,
free and fair national elections are in all the registration centres.
This, we believe, is our right to express our opinion.

We are also embarking on the campaign against the double celebrations
to take place later this year.


Our Broader Programme

Although we have short term programmes of action towards our goal, we
wish to state that the Road Map to a New and Democratic Swaziland
charts the way forward on how we will achieve the major objective.

This document highlights the two main important parts as the Strategic
Liberation Plan and the other, the Democratic Governance and Social
Transformation Plan. We also have, under this, the Implementation
Plan to guide us on how, when and who is key on the implementation.

Expectations from the International Community

We realize and respect the contribution that the European Union has
done to the people of Africa, and Swaziland in particular in the
economic development sector and other areas. We, however, believe
that your contribution towards the socio political empowerment of the
members of the civic society would go a long way towards capacitating
the proponents of democracy, peace and dialogue in the country.


We also request the European Union to exercise its mutual commitments
towards the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou, in
particular Article 9. Without placing into effect the bounds to the
objectives of an agreement, partners will see the other 'not doing
good'.


Conclusion

We are aware of the fact that only the people of Swaziland can
liberate themselves, with of course the solidarity from same minded
friends in the civilised community. PUDEMO is pleased that after a
long time, the Swaziland United Democratic Front has taken up and we
are all working towards achieving our common goal of a constitutional
multiparty government in Swaziland, and believe that this is key to
the achievement of a better life, peace economic growth and social
stability for our people.

We, finally, wish to congratulate the people and member countries of
the European Union for the commemoration of the European Day this past
Monday. We agree that no country can or will remain unchanged,
countries consist of dynamic people determined to ever move forward
and it is our collective responsibility to manage these transitions
towards a better world. Indeed, evil will prevail and triumph only
when good people and organizations do nothing.