Swaziland@Newsletter Extra
30 August, 2008

Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Swaziland

The meaning and implications of Mswati Chairpersonship of the SADC
Organ Troika on politics, defense and security, for democracy in
Southern Africa

Mario Masuku, PUDEMO President


SADC is a region with interesting dynamics; a rich and proud legacy of
fierce struggles against colonialism, apartheid and neo-colonial
subjugation. It is also a region afflicted with serious challenges
arising from a dangerous and serious trend that points to the reversal
of all the massive gains of the people through acts of despotism,
state brutality and increasing levels of poverty and inequalities.

In all this, Swaziland has emerged as the uncontested champion of
political despotism being the oldest state of emergency in the region
and the only country that since 1973 has never seen anything closer to
what should constitute democratic elections, because of the historic
ban on political parties by king Sobhuza 11 through his now famous
draconian 1973 decree.

In this regard, SADC has a historic responsibility to the people of
this region, more so its institutions that are entrusted with the
responsibility of defending democracy, peace and stability in the
region, more precisely, the Organ Troika on politics, defence and
security.

Anyone assigned the task of overseeing the institutions which must
enjoy our fullest confidence have an obligation to be exemplary, not
least institutions responsible for guaranteeing that we live in
conditions of democracy, peace and stability, such as the Organ Troika.

Understanding the role and importance of the Organ Troika

South Africa, together with the other member states of SADC initiated
the idea of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security in June 1996
as a forum for the discussion and resolution of political issues in
the region. It was however not formalised as a functional and
operational institution of SADC due to differences in the
interpretation of its functions and structures until later.

Heads of State and Government finally reached agreement on the role,
functions and structure of the Organ at the Extraordinary SADC summit
held in Windhoek, Namibia on 9-10 March, 2001.

This led to the adoption of a Draft Protocol at the SADC Summit in
Blantyre, Malawi on 14 August 2002.

The broad objective of the Organ Protocol is to achieve solidarity,
peace and security within the SADC region through close co-operation
on matters of politics, defence and security.

The emphasis is on the peaceful settlement of disputes by negotiation,
conciliation, mediation and arbitration. In this context the Organ
Protocol addresses both intra- and inter-state conflict and stipulates
principles for collective action in managing such conflict. Otherwise,
put this institution is entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring
that democracy flourishes in conditions of peace and stability.

According to SADC documents: in order to operationalise the Organ,
the Protocol establishes the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.
This structure includes the: the Chairperson of the Organ, the Plenary
Ministerial Committee and the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy
Committee (ISPDC) and Inter-State Defence and Security Committee
(ISDSC). Currently a Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO) is
in the process of being developed. The SIPO will set the framework,
work programme and operational parameters for the functioning of the
Organ.

The document goes further to state that, critical to the management
of the Organ is the Organ Troika. The Troika is made up of three
member states that are not members of the SADC Troika. The Chairperson
of the Organ reports directly to the SADC Summit.

It must be noted here that there are two troikas and must not be
confused, first, there is the SADC Troika and then the Organ troika,
which is still an institution of SADC and Mswati is in charge of the
latter. When these two gather together, it becomes a double troika.

Mswati as Chairperson of the Organ Troika and what it means for
democracy in the region: The judge who is guilty of similar and worst
crimes:


You can imagine a judge who presides over a case in which he is
equally guilty and liable for similar crimes, or even worst. This is
the fairytale of Mswati taking charge of the institution responsible
for the creation, expansion and defence of democracy, peace and
stability in the region.

Meanwhile, this is the same person who is yet to tell us who is
responsible for all the atrocities that are daily occurring in our
country and those that have occurred over years; amongst them; Black
Wednesday at the University, where students were savagely massacred in
1990, the massive SDA, PUDEMO and SFTU bloodshed in 1996, which led to
the deaths of our dear comrade Mbatha from the SFTU, the massive
torture of David Mngomezulu, who later died, the massive brutalisation
of SAS students in Big-Bend, amongst them; Freddy Mokoena, Mlungisi
Makhanya, Nhlanhla Msweli, Lovejoy Mazibuko, Precious Zitha and many
others whose cases were handled by Cde Simon Noge of the then HUMARAS.

Further, the esteemed chairperson would be better off telling us who
unleashed the most savage terror on the innocent people of Kamkhweli
and Macetjeni, merely for refusing to accept a Prince being imposed
upon them as their Chief, when there are traditionally defined
processes and norms of assuming chieftancy according to Swazi culture.
This led to their forced exiling to Mpumalanga, South Africa as
refugees, living in conditions of real destitution and desperation.

I myself have been a victim of more than one treason trial and
numerous charges for subversion and sedition, merely for organising
marches and participating in demonstrations calling for democracy in
our country. This prison, we call our country has been honoured with
the responsibility of deepening and defending democracy in our beloved
region, what a contradiction!

This has serious implications for democracy in our region, beyond our
country. It means that no leader or country would ever take serious
any call to adhere to SADC protocols calling for democracy or free and
fair elections, because they would know that the finger pointed
towards them is more guilty and has no moral authority to judge them.

It also means, SADC structures and protocols will not be taken
seriously not only by heads of states, as is currently the case, but
even more so, by the peoples of the region, in whose interest this
structure is supposed to serve. This makes a mockery of our
determination as Africans to build and institutionalise capacity for
the effective building and protection of democracy on our continent,
as well as strengthen our capacity to resolve conflicts for meaningful
development.

Surely, there is a relationship between democracy, a culture of human
rights observance and the resolution of conflicts or creation of an
environment of peace and stability.

Just when we were beginning to raise our hopes about prospects for the
tightening of the democratic belt and raising of governance standards
in the region, once again, we woke up to yet another shock. The baton
wielding policeman standing at the door is the leading crime
operative, and that has serious implications for our desire to fight
crime in this region, so an analogy would go.

What should be done? The struggle continues!

It has become clear that democracy is and must be a product of
protracted struggles on the ground, it cannot be a charitable
Christmas gift from summits.

This means, we should stick our heads and feet on the ground, we must
hit the ground running, hitting as hard as possible through endless
mass actions and determined struggles of our people. The future of the
region is in our hands, its what we make of it.

We must make it impossible for anyone guilty of crimes against the
people to freely do as he wishes in our region. It must be a no go
area. No one who stole elections, rigged electoral outcomes or
subjected the people to whatever form of terror, should be allowed to
claim legitimacy in the name of the people. Anyone who refuses to
respect the rights of the people to choose their own leaders freely
should not be accorded any form of respect.

We should declare SADC a no-go area for all culprits of political
oppression who rule through the gun and abuse the people, ruling them
against their will. We must intensify the struggle to build a new SADC
founded on the basis of no compromise with undemocratic practices, be
they disguised as culture and tradition or whatever their form.

We fully support and are part of the campaign actively driven by
COSATU and trade unions throughout the region, including our own
allies, the SFTU and SFL in Swaziland, for the boycott of all goods
destined for Swaziland, which was a product of our deliberations at
the recent COSATU Conference in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe
and Swaziland. We must ensure that we hit them where it matters the
most, the economic citadels or the economy that oils the conditions of
our continued suffering.

In this regard, we are already building and intensifying the offensive
on our own home ground, inside Swaziland, as demonstrated by the
recent wave of strikes by workers, marches by women, defiance rallies
by PUDEMO and SWAYOCO, resulting in massive arrests of our activists,
as well as the mass protests organised by the Swaziland United
Democratic Front (SUDF), particularly the one of 3rd and 4th September
targeting the royal lavish party while our people continue to starve.

We also call on the world to support us as we ensure that the
tinkhundla elections scheduled for 19th September are a non-starter,
they must crumble under the weight of mass struggle and intensified
solidarity. September is going to be difficult month for the ruling
regime in Swaziland, we dare not spare any effort in our desire to
destroy the foundations of oppression. We insist that we demand a
multiparty democratic electoral system, with the unbanning of
political parties as a fundamental condition for any meaningful and
democratic process.

We are proud to belong to the Swaziland United Democratic Front, which
is a product of the hard work of all forces for change in our country.
It is the most precious gift and weapon of the people in their desire
to be free. We are even more proud that as early as 2006 we adopted a
programme called the Road Map to a new and democratic Swaziland, which
affirmed openly the task of building a new and democratic front, owing
to the then defunct SDA, and we were called upon by Congress to do all
within our powers to work with our allies and comrades in other organs
of civil society to forge a powerful force against the system, in
which case, the Front has become. Just yesterday, we had a successful
march as the front against the crisis in the health system, which has
reached catastrophic levels, if not genocidal magnitudes.

AMANDLA!