Unmitigated provocation. That’s the best way to describe King Mswati’s declaration to the World Economic Forum that the Swazi people don’t want change. This, as we grapple with the sad, systematic attrition of basic human rights in Swaziland. Mswati’s statement confirmed the kingdom’s authorities’ contempt for calls for democracy, while they accommodate their own political ends.
All this amidst wanton abuse of power and state resources. And to think, as Mswati’s aide, I was a defender of such nonsense for years makes me want to fall on my sword.
But then, I am a Swazi adult who has the full right to view my country and be influenced in any way, depending on the discourse on the ground. And I insist that an opinion should not be judged by whoever holds it, but how it affects the direction of the discourse. That said, I feel strongly that Mswati’s declaration and events in recent times have proven how comfortable the regime is with its stranglehold on the Swazi people.
For 27 years Mswati has run Swaziland like a personal fiefdom. This much was observed by exiled People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) member Bongani Masuku during last week’s international dialogue on the 2013 Swazi elections hosted by the Wits SRC. He said a respected multilateral institution, which he did not name, had observed that Mswati either has people who are able to make him look good to the world, or the pro-democracy groups that call for change do not have the required capacity to cause a stir in this tin-pot dictatorship.
“We should be asking ourselves if we have the required manpower and resources to push the people’s agenda forward. Seminars and talk shops have outlived their usefulness. Action now,” said Masuku.
The Wits Indaba moderated by accomplished author and intellectual, Professor William Gumede, was organised to allow Swazi pro-democracy forces to hold discussions related to the upcoming elections.
“Among Swazi pro-democracy forces there have been open calls for boycotting the elections with the argument being that these elections represent nothing more than a smokescreen to prop up the Swazi monarchy and their cronies at the expense of the vast majority of poor and dispossessed Swazis,” Gumede explained.
On the other hand, others are convinced that boycotting has not provided any meaningful results and that participation has a significant potential to change the status quo. This, they say, is especially true if all the supporters of democracy would vote for pro-democratic candidates to go to parliament with political party mandates.
Animated discussions were held and concrete resolutions were taken with the overwhelming majority vowing to engage on strategies to disrupt the elections, set the stage for democratic elections in the future and also quash the dictatorial monarchy. It remains to be seen if such energy will translate into a new dawn for the Swazi masses, who have heard all these promises before.
Sadly, we have all helped Mswati and the regime in running the country to the dogs, if only to benefit from the confusion, line our own pockets with ill-gotten gains and nail our snouts firmly to the trough. Do you think a person, any person, you constantly refer to as the sun, as having a hotline to the Almighty or possessing divine and mystical powers so as to be above the law would carry himself any differently?
Cultural considerations and Africanism aside, this has gone way too far. Clearly, the man feels no pressure to heed calls for change. He wonders who could come into a man’s house to dictate terms. Our children will spit on our graves. Many of us just sit around a computer and spew our anger online by flooding Facebook and Twitter on Swaziland Inc.
All this, while political activists like Maxwell Dlamini, Ronald Rudd, Bheki Dlamini and Zonke Dlamini are in jail, courtesy of this depraved regime. These are young men languishing in jail, some for five years, for belonging to the “wrong” organisation. They are not the only ones to suffer at the hands of the regime.
For years people have been jailed, persecuted and exiled and we didn’t understand what they were about. It does look like now we are beginning to understand them from behind the bars. And this, against the backdrop of an oppressor who laughs away at attempts to usher in democratic changes in Swaziland. The reason for Mswati’s statement that Swazis do not want change can be attributed to the fact that Swaziland’s questionable system of governance revolves around him.
Mswati and his government tell whoever cares to listen, that his tinkhundla system of governance is uniquely Swazi, as it blends culture and traditions with modernity. However, evidence on the ground is that the system has proved to be extremely repressive and, by and large, serves the royal elite.
If Swazis do not want change, as Mswati would have the world believe, why would political, trade union and social organisations from Swaziland be banned from holding meetings within the country’s borders and be forced to travel to other countries to hold discussions related to the forthcoming elections.
In the two-day meeting at Wits University, the pro-democracy groups from Swaziland noted that for 40 years, the people of Swaziland have been living under a brutal state of emergency established by an undemocratic and repressive regime. Mswati’s regime has enforced conditions of political and economic slavery in the name of culture resulting in the systematic impoverishment of the vast majority of the Swazi people and the accumulation of vast wealth and power for the authorities.
While Mswati was boasting in Cape Town, the meeting in Joburg was lamenting the fact that the world has been given gross misinformation from the tinkhundla regime and the minority who benefit from their patronage, that Swaziland is peaceful and that the people are happy. The reality on the ground is a painful story of a suffering people. “Swaziland is a nation in the clutches of emergency conditions that tourists seldom see. In addition to quaint customs and beautiful scenery, Swaziland has the world’s worst Aids epidemic and lowest average life expectancy, widespread starvation, legions of orphaned children, denial of human rights, rampant corruption, political killings, drug smuggling, sales of passports to underworld transients and dictatorial abuse of government powers,” the Swaziland Democracy Campaign document that was circulated during the meeting stated. The meeting resolved to strengthen unity among pro-democracy groups, campaign vigorously for the unbanning of political parties, build a global movement for democracy for Swaziland along the lines of the former anti-apartheid movement and vigorously lobby the international community to force Swaziland to adhere to international treaties and protocols it signed. The progressive forces also resolved to seek international assistance towards ensuring measures that will outlaw and stop the abuse of power in the country and isolate the current regime and support democratic forces fighting for a democratic Swaziland.
But, as I pointed out above, unless the “voices of reason” offering a brighter future for Swaziland are translated into action, through popular support on the ground – inside Swaziland – such efforts will remain the three-decade rhetoric they are seen by many to be.
The regime can see through all the sloganeering. The masses wallow in misery. I couldn’t agree more with Pudemo member Mlungisi Makhanya, the real struggle should be intensified within Swaziland. Time has come for each Swazi to ask the question: should things continue like this? And what part can each of us play?
Stop looking to Pudemo and the other parties as Swaziland’s exclusive liberators. Start to make a contribution yourself. Security officers should question the idea of brutalising those who protest against abuse of power. That is the only time that the international community will take us seriously.
Those of us who fled the country for economic or political reasons, should go back home. Suitcases in hand, let us all assemble at the border and tell the tyrant to jail us all. Let us stop looking to South Africa which has its own challenges. South Africa should find us in motion.
Who said we should be lobbying South Africa only? What about Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Angola and Namibia? Why not lobby for sanctions targeted against the sadistic clique. Start with a travel ban on Mswati, his family and hangers on, Barnabas and his cohorts, Tibiyo honchos and sister institutions. Then freeze assets and target local and international business associates. Admittedly, there will be collateral damage before the regime is smothered. If truth be told, who will sacrifice for our liberation if not Swazis ourselves? Will freedom be handed to us on a silver platter? It does not work that way. We should pray to God to help us, but remember, if we don’t buy the ticket we can never win the lottery.
Time for change has come. That time is now.
n Ndlangamandla is former chief editor of the Swazi Observer and advisor/speechwriter for Mswati. He is a freelance writer who has moved to SA following reports of his impending arrest.