Swaziland Newsletter Extra
Published by Southern Africa Contact (Denmark)

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Targeted sanctions against the ruling regime in Swaziland

Resolution adopted by the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) 6th
General Congress held in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, December, 2006.
For publication purposes the text of the resolution has been edited slightly.



1. Introduction

Inspired by its commitment to democracy and an international spirit of
solidarity with oppressed peoples, the People's United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO) calls upon the peoples of the world to impose sanctions against the
repressive government of Swaziland.

We appeal to all people of conscience, to countries with diplomatic ties with
Swaziland, and to international corporations doing business in Swaziland to use
their political and economic influence to force the Swaziland government to
allow a return to democratic governance. We specifically appeal for immediate
action targeting the Swaziland government and royal family interests. These
sanctions are directed at both individuals and institutions.

PUDEMO subscribes to the idea that the imposition of sanctions is a means to an
end and not an end in itself. Sanctions can encourage a process of dialogue and
negotiation but they cannot by themselves remove the royal regime. We believe
that sanctions will work best in combination with other forms of internal and
external influences designed to resolve the political conflict in our country.
Targeted sanctions must be a strategic component of a larger coercive policy
and broader international as well as local struggle.

We understand completely and without any illusions that the political situation
must be one of intensified struggle within Swaziland in order for this call to
find meaning among the peoples of the world. Progressive forces must be seen
contesting power and confronting the regime on a daily basis. History has
proven that the more internally challenged a regime on which sanctions are
imposed, the more likely that it will comply. In this regard, PUDEMO must
continue to exert leadership and moral guidance in the struggles of the people
of Swaziland.


2. Background

Swaziland is the smallest country in Southern Africa and is governed by an
absolute monarchy. It is the only country in the region that has resisted calls
for multi-party democracy. As a small country, Swaziland remains invisible to
global politics. Hence, the absolute monarchy has successfully evaded
international censure directed against other dictatorial regimes.

This has not only cushioned the regime from international reprimand, but also
opened up space for gross violation of human rights and neglect of public
responsibility to the people of Swaziland. Consequently, the regime has
cultivated and promoted a policy of institutionalised political violence
against its citizens. Recently, the regime has stepped up political violence
against members of the pro-democracy movement.

Over the years, many suspects have died in the hands of the police as a result
of torture. Torture is a routine practice. Members of parliament condone this
and the judiciary is powerless to intervene. Thousands of pro-democracy
activists have been badly injured in peaceful protests since the early 1990s.
Numerous members of PUDEMO, the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) and the
labour movement have been imprisoned, tortured and tried under laws which
prevent freedom of political activity. Hundreds have fled to neighbouring South
Africa in fear of persecution.

In his proclamation of 1973 to the nation, the late King Sobhuza II unilaterally
declared a State of Emergency, dissolved parliament, denounced democracy and
declared himself absolute ruler, usurping all judicial, legislative and
executive powers. A key feature of the Proclamation is the prohibition of
political parties and the disregard of democratic processes. Although
parliament was re-established in 1978, it was placed under the authority of the
king, consistent with the provisions of the 1973 Proclamation. The State of
Emergency has never been lifted and remains effective today. For 36 years, the
Proclamation has cemented a political culture of violence against dissent.

Most of the key aspects of the Proclamation have been incorporated into the
Commonwealth-sponsored Constitution Act of 2005. These include the ban on
political parties, concentration of state powers in the hands of the King and
hostility towards democracy and democratic processes. Thus it remains unlawful
for anyone to contest elections and canvass for political office under the
banner of a political party. Whilst the Constitution gives the illusion of an
independent judiciary with jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters, this
is only possible as far as the judiciary does not concern itself with "matters
relating to the office of iNgwenyama (the King); the office of iNdlovukazi (the
Queen Mother);...the Swazi National Council..." (The Constitution of the
Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005, section 151(8). These offices are central to
the governance of Swaziland and the epicentre of gross violations of human
rights.


3. Challenging the regime

Swaziland is a failing state and is sliding into the category of failed states
at great speed. Swaziland is a state in crisis, but the absolute monarchical
government is determined to cling to power through violent means.

However, since its formation in 1983, PUDEMO has not been deterred by this
violence. It remains resolute in its struggle for multi-party democracy. Over
the years, PUDEMO has grown from strength to strength. Today, it speaks through
the voices of hundreds of thousands of our people. PUDEMO is a modern,
progressive, democratic party with solid social democratic values. We have
committed ourselves to liberating the people of Swaziland through peaceful
means. Our chief objective is to rebuild Swaziland on strong democratic
principles based on a solid culture of civil and political rights, good and
responsible governance, transparency and public accountability. We are driven
by a commitment to humanity and the desire to give the people of Swaziland a
chance to regain their dignity and to live like all free human beings. These
are core values of social democracy and we are proud to be committed to these
values. The people of Swaziland are in dire straits and, as a liberation
organisation, we are confronted with an immediate task - to halt
Swaziland's decline into a social, political and economic abyss.

It is against this background that we passionately appeal to the conscience of
the entire people of the world to help us achieve this noble goal by imposing
sanctions against the interests of the royal family and its government.


4. Justification for sanctions

As an organisation committed to peaceful change, PUDEMO has tirelessly tried to
draw the government into peace talks in an attempt to find an amicable solution
to the crisis in Swaziland. However, our peaceful efforts have been undermined
by the hostile reaction of a government which regards violence as the only
approach to dealing with our concerns. To date, the government has stubbornly
refused to engage the pro-democracy movement in any meaningful political
negotiation.

It is our belief that such negotiations are, perhaps, the most viable and
important method of resolving the crisis peacefully and restoring democratic
rule in Swaziland. As demonstrated by various international experiences, a
combined internal and external effort has great potential to yield substantial
results in Swaziland. Central as they may be in the struggle for democracy,
internal efforts acquire much strength from global solidarity. History shows
that no regime, no matter how powerful and repressive, can withstand combined
international and internal aspirations for change. In essence, international
solidarity is the fulcrum of local strength.

The government has, for a considerable period, been convinced that it is
invulnerable to international pressure because of its geo-political position as
a small state. Hence, the impunity with which it continues to reject calls for
democratic governance. The government believes that nobody is watching and that
it can violate civil and political rights as it wishes.

Current conditions are characterised by political repression, the endemic abuse
of human rights and a general neglect of public responsibility to the people of
Swaziland. This must change. These conditions are no longer sustainable as their
harmful effects have become unmanageable. It is against this background that we
strongly believe that international sanctions are justifiable and necessary to:

- exert political pressure on the government to embrace democracy;

- protect life and human dignity;

- restore the conditions necessary for decent human existence; and

- secure basic human rights.



5. Smart sanctions are a viable option


Smart or targeted sanctions give the international community the means to react
and address Swaziland's political situation, which threatens international
peace and security, using non-military action.

Targeted sanctions, if applied effectively, can be less costly than other
options (e.g. military) and can be tailored to specific circumstances directly
hitting the Swazi dictatorship.

Targeted sanctions will avoid unintended negative effects, which the
international community may be unwilling to tolerate. This gives sanctions
greater moral acceptability through the avoidance of significant humanitarian
costs.

Targeted sanctions are directed towards particular political leaders and members
of the repressive machinery in Swaziland whose tyrannical actions are a threat
to democracy and freedom, nationally and internationally. This reduces the
possibility of a "rally-around-the-flag" response from the targeted regime.

Targeted sanctions, by affecting the leaders, as well as their key supporters,
family members, important institutions under their control or specific flows of
goods and services, can convey the message of the international community to the
Swazi regime in very direct manner.

Smart sanctions will more effectively target and penalize - via an arms embargo,
financial sanctions, and travel restrictions - the Swazi political elites who
espouse policies and commit actions against our people deemed reprehensible by
the international community.

Smart sanctions against the Swazi regime will protect vulnerable social groups
(for example children, women, and the elderly) from so-called collateral damage
caused by sanctions on commodities such as food and medical supplies.


6. What sanctions must target

The People's United Democratic Movement's campaign is in favour of targeted
sanctions against specific interests such as:

- Exports of luxury goods for the benefit of the royal family, the government
and individual politicians.

- International travel involving individual members of the royal family, the
royal family as an institution and government officials.

- Study permits and other visa requirements for members of the royal family and
government officials.

- International investments, monetary and physical assets, targeting the
government, individual members of the royal family, the royal family as an
institution, royal family companies, mainly Tibiyo TakaNgwane and Tisuka
TakaNgwane and other companies, in which the royal family and top politicians
have shares.

- The tourism industry which is firmly anchored in cultural practices that are
inconsistent with basic human rights and freedoms.

- Arms trade and technical support to the Swazi regime.


There is strong moral justification for international sanctions against these
specific interests.

Lavish royal family spending has put enormous strain on the country's meagre
resources, which could be best used in needy areas such as health and poverty
alleviation. It is morally repugnant that King Mswati III should build
expensive palaces for each of his thirteen wives and purchase a fleet of
ultra-expensive cars while the general population is often starving and has
limited access to basic health services. A travel ban and the restriction of
exports of luxury goods to members of the royal family and the government will
release much-needed resources for social and economic development.

The government has relied heavily on violence to sustain its opposition to
democracy. Its capacity to use violence against our people is dependent upon
continued access to arms and external military technical support. Swaziland has
no arms industry and imports all its military hardware from democratic
countries. These weapons are used entirely to commit gross human rights
violations against citizens, to suppress the pro-democracy movement and
intimidate the population. In every single protest organised by PUDEMO and
SWAYOCO, the armed forces have arrogantly displayed these weapons of
intimidation and used them indiscriminately against members of the public.

And most importantly, opportunities for international investment of dirty money
have fostered corruption and official pillaging of the country's resources.
The regime knows that it cannot hold power by force indefinitely and is
transferring public monies overseas. The country badly needs these resources
and urgently needs help to stop this looting of its resources. It would be
morally responsible for institutions and their governments where these
investments are held to freeze these assets and release them to a
democratically elected government. We particularly request financial
institutions to listen to their moral conscience, and not to put profit before
humanity.

The government has subverted a booming tourism industry and transformed it into
a political propaganda exercise to create a false image of the country as being
peaceful. This identity, which is a key feature in travel brochures, is a facade
designed to mislead the international public. PUDEMO appeals to travel agents to
discourage travel to Swaziland. We particularly appeal to the conscience of all
travelers not to assist in this propaganda by excluding Swaziland from their
future traveling plans.



7. Duration of sanctions

The international community should maintain sanctions against the Swazi regime
until such time as the Swazi regime, amongst other things:

- Unequivocally commits itself to democratisation by embracing the people's
demands for a democratically created constitution,

- Moves quickly towards a negotiation process by repealing all laws restricting
political activity, particularly the prohibition of political parties,

- Stops all violence and incitement of public hatred and intolerance towards the
pro-democracy movement,

- Exercises greater public responsibility towards the people of Swaziland by
taking active and effective measures to alleviate poverty and the degrading
conditions of the healthcare sector,

- Takes responsibility and provide leadership in countering the HIV/AIDS
epidemic,

- Ends the pillage of public resources through lavish royal family spending and
endemic corruption.



8. Conclusion


Targeted sanctions against the Swazi regime make intuitive sense and respond
directly to the question of what effective role the international community can
play towards bringing freedom and democracy to the suffering masses of our
country.

Sanctions, if effectively applied, can be a powerful instrument - beyond
diplomatic support but short of military action - that can force the Swazi
regime to negotiate the transfer of power to the people.


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Swaziland Newsletter is published by Southern Africa Contact (Denmark) and
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