Global Voices » Swaziland

Swaziland: The Hypocrisy of King Mswati III

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:44:39 +0000

Richard Rooney discusses the hypocrisy of King Mswati III of Swaziland: “King Mswati III of Swaziland is being hypocritical when he expresses disappointment at individuals who continue to plunder state resources for personal benefit. That’s because he is the biggest plunderer of state resources and he has bled his subjects dry for his own personal gain.”

Swaziland: King Mswati Must Go

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:22:02 +0000

Richard Rooney posts a press release from the Botswana National Front in support of progressive forces in Swaziland: “The Botswana National Front (BNF) joins the rest of the progressive forces who are currently in solidarity with the people of Swaziland during the Global Week of Action against Swaziland (5th-11th September) led by the Swaziland Democracy Campaign.”

Swziland: AFP Correspondent Phone Bugged

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:21:40 +0000

AFP correspondent in Swaziland says her phone is bugged: “At first I believed it must be some kind of mix up at the phone company. People who tried calling me when my phone was off told me they got through to someone else who said not to worry he would call me. They then heard the sound of dogs and children’s voice and he never came back on the line.”

Swaziland: Protest Leaders, Journalists Arrested

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:24:43 +0000

Union leaders and activists in Swaziland took to the streets of Manzini on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 April, 2011, demanding political reform and calling on King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to return power to the people.

Riot police fired tear gas at protesters, arrested union leaders and journalists. The Institute for Democracy in Africa (Idasa) has called on Swaziland to avoid “a repeat of crises we have seen in conflict-ridden Libya and Ivory Coast.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on authorities in Swaziland to allow the media to report freely on anti-government protests following the harrasment of ten local and international journalists.

King Mswati III of Swaziland. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson, in public domain.

Nastasya Tay, a reporter from Eyewitness News, was detained by Swaziland police on Tuesday:

Nastasya Tay, the Eyewitness News reporter detained by Swaziland police during the protests yesterday (12 April 2011) and escorted out of Manzini, has been speaking about media freedom in the kingdom.

Lutfo Dlamini, the Swazi Foreign Minister, had told South African journalists that the media in Swaziland were free to report anything they liked.

Not so, says Tay, who went on to say that people in Swaziland were too scared of the authorities to speak to the media.

Another journalist, Rob Hartgers (@RobHartgers), tweeted about his detention in Manzini on Tuesday April 12:

@RobHartgers: Btw: got detained by police twice today in Manzini, together with other journo's. No freedom of speech in #Swaziland

Two journalists working for Agence France-Presse (AFP) were also detained on Tuesday.

The Swaziland Democracy Campaign and the Swaziland United Democratic Front have released a statement saying that repression will not dent democracy campaign in Swaziland:

The Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC) and Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) are outraged at the continuing repression being meted out to those organisations making up the democratic constituency in Swaziland on the second day of their campaign for justice. Reports that leading trade unionists and other activists have been re-arrested, forced underground, subjected to bullying tactics and having their peaceful and completely legitimate meetings disrupted and criminalised. To emphasise on this situation, reports have just been received that a meeting of SNAT is currently being surrounded by armed security personnel, and the likelihood of further attacks is imminent.

A statement from PUDEMO talks about “uncompromising and rough attitude of the state’s security agents”:

*PUDEMO Statement on the workers protest action: issued on 13April 2011*

**

Today members of the trade union movement were unable proceed with their protest action because of the uncompromising and rough attitude of the state’s security agents. As witnessed yesterday, the workers were again targeted harassed and intimidated in the streets of Manzini. Scores of the worker activists were further detained in the notorious Manzini Regional Headquarters. Seemingly almost all the workers who were in the city have experienced detention in the last two days, turning Swaziland into a police state where people are detained for talking to their cell phones or standing and chatting in threes. Again today scores were forcefully prevented from excersing their freedom of movement from their areas to join the protest action.

More union leaders have been arrested, Swaziland Commentary reports:

The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) offices were raided yesterday at around 12:30 pm by close to 20 police officers and the staff officers of the federation were assaulted.
We report today that; the Deputy Secretary General of the Swaziland Processing and Allied workers union, Comrade Wonder Mkhonta, Comrade Ntombie Langwenya, of Swaziland National Association of Teachers, women’s wing committee and Comrade Moses Buthelezi have been arrested and they are detained in Hlathikhulu Police station.

The coordinator for the Swaziland Democracy Campaign, Mary Pais Da Silva, has also been arrested:

Mary Pais Da Silva, Coordinator of the Swaziland Democracy Campaign, who was arrested yesterday (12 April 2011) while in the middle of a telephone interview with a journalist at South Africa’s Talk Radio 702, was back on air today to talk about what happened next.

She describes the treatment she received at the hands of police officers:

This below is a personal account of the treatment I received at the hands of police officers today:
1. Two male comrades and I were at the SFTU offices where we were sending out information to our international friends on the happenings of the protest action billed for today.

2. At roughly around 1230hrs, an army of male police barged into the offices and whilst I was in the middle of a telephonic, live interview with talk Radio 702 and headed directly to me and began punching and slapping me on my face.

She concludes:

I will not be intimidated by these bullish antics of the government. Bashing me only strengthens my resolve in the role that I play in the democratic movement in Swaziland.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SWAZILAND MUST GO TO HELL AND ON THE WAY THERE, THEY MUST KISS MY BEAUTIFUL BEHIND!!!!

Has Swaziland turned into a police state?:

It is quite something to watch the machinery of the Swazi state swing into action. I don’t think I have ever seen so many cops on the streets in my life (and I lived through apartheid). If you are driving on Swazi roads right now you will get stopped and checked any time you drive anywhere. If you are travelling on a minibus you will also be required to get out of the vehicle and have your bag searched for weapons. However, if you are not in a minibus you will probably get a ticket for some minor infraction on your vehicle. For some reason every offence in Swaziland costs E6o (that is R60 and €6).

Jinty Jacson says that the president of the Swaziland Union of Students, Maxwell Dlamini, is missing:

Maxwell Dlamini, one of the main organisers behind national protests due to begin tomorrow is missing. So are 3 other youth leaders - while another is on the run, fearing for his life.
Dlamini, who is president of the Swaziland National Union of Students (that’s him above addressing the crowd on March 18th calling for the Prime Minister’s resignation) was on his way back from the border last night. He had gone to South Africa to help plan the demonstrations since organisers did not feel safe doing so in Swaziland.
He was last seen at a police roadblock very near our place in Mbabane last night. Amongst the others who have gone missing are the deputy president of the banned PUDEMO youth organisation, SWAYOCO – Sifiso Mabuza, (who told me in March being arrested is part of his job and he is used to it. He said, “We are saying to people of Swaziland they must get ready. They can’t keep getting crushed by police then they go home and keep quiet”.

For more reports, follow “Swaziland April 12 uprising: reports from the ground” from Free Africa Media.

#Swaziland on Twitter, April 13

Benita Levin (@benitalevin) from Johannesburg:

@benitalevin: For the latest on the situation in Manzini in #Swaziland…catch updates from #EWN's @NastasyaTay on @702, @947Highveld and @ewnupdates…

Brandan Reynolds (@brandanrey) from Cape Town:

@brandanrey: #Swaziland's #Democracy movement gains momentum, Brandan Reynolds' Business Day Cartoon, Wednesday 13 April 2011: http://t.co/RrUeQSw

Elles van Gelder (@ellesinjozi) from Johannesburg:

@ellesinjozi: protests in #Swaziland died but people defiant and ready to make a new plan to go out on the streets a local journo tells me.

Ylva Kronheffer (@ylvakronheffer) from London:

@ylvakronheffer: @ACTSA_UK. #Swaziland protesters not giving up.

Swaziland: Anger at revolution snub

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:41:53 +0000

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) has criticized the reporting of the proposed ‘uprising’ against the government on 12 April 2011 by the Times of Swaziland: “In particular, it takes issue with comments attributed to Dr Judy Smith Hohn of the Institute for Security Studies, in South Africa.”

Swaziland: Swazi Media Commentary

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:32:07 +0000

Swazi Media Commentary is a blog about the struggle for human rights in Swaziland.

Swaziland: My work with social centers

Ndesanjo Macha — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:18:45 +0000

Josh writes about the project he is working on in Swaziland: “Basically, my office operates 4 Social Centers in my town. There are 6 wards but only 4 Social Centers. The basic duties of the Social Centers are first it is a pre-school that operates during regular school days, second is a base for the Caregivers.”

Swaziland: The Swazis who dare to demand democracy

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:18:21 +0000

Mathews writes about activists who dare to challenge the King of Swaziland: “The Swazis are losing patience with this conspicuous consumption, however. In August 2008, hundreds of women marched through the streets of Mbabane, the capital, to protest against a shopping trip for nine of the king’s wives to Europe.”

Swaziland: Prominent Human Rights Lawyer Arrested

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:12:34 +0000

Prominent human rights lawyer in Swaziland has been arrested: “Proving that Mswati can give Mugabe a run for his money, prominent Swazi human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko has been arrested and detained. Initially, charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, which at least would have provided an opportunity to challenge the legality of that Act, Thulani is now being charged under the Sedition Act.”

Angola: Reflections on Ncwala, an African New Year Ceremony

Paula Góes — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:57:34 +0000

In the last post of the year at Koluki blog [pt], we find a description of a national ritual of Swaziland, a country the Angolan blogger considers one of the most beautiful, friendly and warm in southern Africa. “The sacred Ncwala, or “first fruits ceremony” that is now underway in that country, takes place every year in late December/early January and aims to renew the strength for the King and the Swazi Nation for the following year.”

Africa: Your Majesty, Stop Marrying!

Victor Kaonga — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:41:03 +0000

Several Malawian journalists joined many others in attending a three-day Highway Africa conference at Rhodes University in South Africa under the theme Citizen Journalism: Journalism for Citizens. The conference which is the largest annual gathering of African journalists (over 700 in attendance) focuses on new media issues and is also the forum for critical reflection on journalism, media and technology and a celebration of Africa.

Edna Bvalani gives an update about the conference and says that the conference which is the 12th since 1996 is an important one for the African continent:

In this digital era, a journalist need to be more equipped on how to gather and disseminate information as quickly as possible. Hence, it is important to realise that media is a vital tool of information in any democratic, intellectual, cultural, economic and social development of our societies.

During the conference, there was a generous mention of Global Voices as one of citizen media initiatives helping put amplify the voices of the citizens throughout the world.

This author, Victor Kaonga, blogging on Ndagha attended the conference and simply gives it a mention on his blog.

However, his earlier blog post reflects on how Malawi Government is unlikely to connect rural communities to the information highway. His post titled Will Malawi Connect Rural Communities? comes in the wake of a Commonwealth Telecommunication Union sponsored three-day high-level international conference that took place in Malawi. The conference was Africa's biggest ICT forum focusing on Last Mile Solutions for connecting rural communities. However, the author argues that Malawi government does not have adequate telecommunication infrastructure, ICT policies and a supportive financial environment towards connecting not only rural areas but also urban areas.

As the situation is today, the country is a laughing stock as our connectivity is not adequate, hence majority of the country is not benefiting from the modern information and communication technologies thereby still remaining on that side of the digital divide. If the government is to realise the dream of connecting rural areas in Malawi, more commitments and urgency on several issues may help to make the rural connectivity a reality. Otherwise it remains a dream.

Air Malawi should go

An economist and new blogger Watipaso Mkandawire looks at the debate surrounding the selling of Malawi flag carrier Air Malawi, which is said to be in serious financial waters. After giving a range of recent examples of countries that have privatised their national airlines, Mkandawire who has worked for a while on investment issues for Malawi responds to the proposal on privatizing the airline:

I see arguments of those that want to keep the “national asset” as trying to keep 100% of 0 instead of keeping say, 49% or 10% of 100. Air Malawi is technically bankrupt and keeping it as is, is basically betraying tax-payers in Malawi who require these resources for better use (health, education etc). Zambia has no national airline, but its airports are busier than those in Malawi. The private carrier currently operating has grown by the day…..Should Air Malawi be liquidated and a new joint venture established with COMAIR? I will go for it. What do you think?

Malawian advises King Mswati of Swaziland

Regular blogger and journalist Kondwani Munthali writes about the recent 40th national independence day of Swaziland which was attended by Malawi's president Bingu wa Mutharika. In a post titled, Celebrating Poverty: The Moral Story of Swaziland, Munthali implores African leaders to extend advice to King Mswati to stop marrying.

I wish one of our leaders told the King that its time he stopped marrying as many as he wants, it doesnt help with the current Aids epidemic and the image of a nation trying to grapple with modernity and traditional.
There is a sentence that “only the King can change tradition”-I believe His Majesty the King of Swaziland has a capacity to promote the beautiful Swazi culture with real freedoms and public expenditures that show that the King cares. The King is supposed to look after his people first not his many wives!

Swaziland: Mathematics and patients

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:16:38 +0000

Ryan shares his observations about numbers and patients in Swaziland: “Mthobisi’s fleece sweatshirt had the number ‘14’ on it. I remember this value because it matched Mthobisi’s CD4 count on 31 January, 2007, just before he started ARVs.”

Swaziland: Swazi culture 101

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:46:23 +0000

A short post on Back to Swaziland blog about Swazi culture: “While we were waiting for lunch to be ready, because you can only take uncooked food for the chief and it is prepared by his family, the chief showed us around is residence. It was a privilege to be taken inside the traditional hut (much like the one in the picture below) where counsel meetings are held and the like.”

Swaziland: cultural competency pop quiz

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:12:38 +0000

A Swazi cultural competency pop quiz from Ryan: “Please classify the thirteen pictured foods as (a) ubiquitous in Swaziland, (b) available in Swaziland, but unaffordable by most all Swazis (c) nowhere in Swaziland. If you email me your answers (or leave them under comments), I will reward the winner with public praise.”

Swaziland: Swazi HIV Awareness Poster Series

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:01:08 +0000

Read the latest Swazi HIV Awareness Poster Series from Pediatrician in Swaziland: “The Church can make a difference in the fight against HIV and Aids: Accept and support HIV people in the church.”