ANC MUST HELP TO LIBERATE SWAZI PEOPLE.
The ANC through its subcommittee of International relation issued a statement recently on its deliberations and resolutions. Amongst the many issues was one line on democratisation of Swaziland and a call for the release of political prisoners including the return of exiles. I have noticed the response from Swazi government, that they will convene a prayer for the ANC flowing from this statement. This is intended to pour scorn and ridicule the ANC pronouncement.
The fact of the matter is that Swaziland state of affair; its current mode of government and its legitimacy is fast waning. Through their state propaganda they want us to believe that majority of Swazis are comfortable with the Tinkundla system of 40 years where a Monarch is an alpha and omega, and a demigod. The king foregoes the Constitution and rules through a decree.
Last week during the Cape Town World Economic Forum for Africa session, the King reasserted that this outdated system of rule is enjoyed by majority Swazis and that he derived strength from the Isibaya [imbizo type where chiefs and citizenry express their views]. But a cursory glance will tell that these are sham structures micro-managed by King surrogates and blind Chiefs who intimidate citizens on unpopular views. Even the 2005 Constitution that the King pioneered to project himself and the Kingdom as consistent with modern governance was also crafted on sham grounds. Critical voices were excluded to shape the details of it except his sycophants. PUDEMO as a real voice of the people and trade unions were excluded. For PUDEMO, it remains outlawed under the decree and further, they have been banned on the basis of a 2008 "Suppression of terrorism act" typical of apartheid laws against Liberation movement.
The national question of Swaziland is becoming all the more urgent than before. The country's social standard has declined to levels so unjustifiable. Apart from the economic recession that engulf the World including South Africa since 2008 and the subsequent decline of revenue from Southern African Custom union [SACU] of which Swaziland depend on for about 60% in economy, Swaziland's fall of her economy, to a large measure, is a function of its mismanagement and an unmitigated self-consumption by the dictatorial institution of Monarchy at the expense of the masses of the people.
The King is living large. Royal luxuries such as King lavish parties at huge state cost, expensive cars and private jet are some of the goodies the King has as his entitlement in the sea of grinding poverty, a nation almost at famine and exacerbated by HIV/Aids pandemic scavenging the poor like a behemoth prey. Big corporations such as MTN Swaziland, the king is alleged to be a key shareholder and in other state utilities with private shareholding. This is a situation of a pig breeding piglets and in the shortage of food feeds on its own piglets. The IMF has raised the alarm before but that government did not budge on reducing reckless and wasteful spending that is not accompanied by social redress.