The promised amendments to the Swaziland’s
Suppression of Terrorism Act have been shelved by the kingdom’s Senate – again.
The Act, which bans organisations that advocate
democratic reform and imprisons dissenters, has been criticised across the world as undemocratic.
The United States scrapped the lucrative trade deal AGOA
with the kingdom because Swaziland refused to accept the need for reform. King
Mswati III rules the kingdom as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.
The Suppression of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2016 was
due to be debated by the Swazi Senate on Monday (27 February 2017) but was
deferred. In Swaziland, Senate members are not elected by the people. King
Mswati selects 20 members of the 30-strong house and the other 10 are elected
by the House of Assembly. Political parties are banned from contesting
elections.
The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily
newspaper in the kingdom, reported this was not the first time that the Bill had
been deferred. It said senators questioned Deputy Senate President Ngomuyayona
Gamedze as to why the Bill had been deferred countless times.
The law which came into force in 2008 has been criticised by human
rights groups globally. In September 2016, the Swazi
High Court ruled sections of the Act and sections of the Sedition
and Subversive Activities Act were unconstitutional because they contravened
provisions in the Constitution on freedom of expression and freedom of
association.
The Swaziland Attorney-general has
appealed the decision.
See also
COURT:
SWAZI TERROR ACT UNCONSTITUTIONAL
SWAZI
TERROR DECISION TO BE APPEALED
LEGAL
CHALLENGE TO SWAZI TERROR LAW
SWAZI HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD KILLS
AGOA
SWAZI
TERROR ACT STOPS FREE SPEECH
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