Saturday, April 4, 2009

SWAZI PM IS KIDDING ON FREEDOMS

Who does Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed prime minister, think he’s kidding when he says he encourages freedom of speech in the kingdom ‘to an extent that many countries in the world cannot match?’


Dlamini, appointed by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, also said he and his government respected freedom of association.


Dlamini made his comments in a speech to Swaziland’s House of Assembly, where most of his cabinet members are not elected and in a kingdom where all political parties are banned.


Dlamini gave the game away a bit when he told parliamentarians, ’We encourage freedom of speech to an extent that many countries in the world cannot match. But where such speech corrupts or incites violence or civil disorder, our government will act to stop it. We owe that to the peaceful members of our society, who represent by far the majority.


‘The same applies to freedom to associate. We respect that, except where violence is anticipated. Then we must intervene to protect the innocent in our society, which is our priority.’


There is precious little freedom of speech or freedom of association in Swaziland, even though the Swazi Constitution that came into force in 2005 guarantees both.


For readers with short memories, here are some of the recent happenings in Swaziland where Dlamini ‘encourages’ freedom of speech and association.


Mario Masuku, president of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) is sick in jail awaiting trial for things he allegedly said in a speech in November 2008.


Former cabinet minister Mfomfo Nkhambule has been sacked from his local regiment and threatened with jail by Swazi police for writing a series of articles in the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper the Times of Swaziland criticising the undemocratic political system and the role King Mswati plays in it.


The Swaziland chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) says freedom of speech is under attack in the kingdom like never before. It issued 15 ‘alerts’ about violations of media freedom in the first two months of this year (2009); it said it wouldn’t usually expect to issue 15 alerts in a whole year. According to MISA, the violations were mainly around harassment of journalists, censorship, intimidation and assault of media persons.


In February 2009, the government threatened to charge with sedition anyone who criticized the state of the nation address delivered by the King. This followed a number of statements by media commentators that the King’s speech was stale and lacked substance.


Amnesty International and the International Bar Association are to launch a campaign to highlight the lack of human rights in Swaziland. The two organisations want Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) amended or repealed so that it is in line with accepted human rights laws.


In March 2009, Dlamini announced that civil servants and others who are paid by the government will be sacked from their jobs if they speak out in favour of democracy. This is the latest move by Dlamini to silence dissent in Swaziland, which last year he introduced the STA, which is widely seen as a law to curb freedom of speech and association. He has also branded four political entities as ‘terrorists’ and members and supporters can face up to 25 years in jail.

Leaders of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) have been harassed by police and a rally at the end of February intended in support of jailed Mario Masuku was smashed by police.

The US State Department in its annual review of human rights in Swaziland found the Swaziland Government restricted freedoms of speech and the press during the past year and banned the publication of criticism of King Mswati. The report stated, ‘During the year the attorney general and the prime minister warned journalists and diplomats against making statements that could be interpreted as seditious. After the arrest in November of Mario Masuku, President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), several civic organizations, including the Council of Swaziland Churches and the Law Society, published notices in daily papers alerting the king to their concern about the ‘selective implementation of the country's constitution’. The State Department notes that journalists were threatened, harassed, assaulted, and detained during the year, particularly after Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini warned in November 2008 that journalists who criticized the government could be viewed as supporting terrorists and be arrested under the STA.


So, Mr Prime Minister who do you think you’re kidding? And could you also please supply a list of those countries that you say ‘cannot match’ the levels of freedom enjoyed in Swaziland?

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