Swaziland’s disregard for freedom has received
international attention with the United States threatening to withdraw a
favourable trading agreement and the jailing on remand of a magazine editor and
a writer after they wrote articles critical of the kingdom’s judiciary.
The US has given Swaziland, which is ruled by King Mswati
III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, until 15 May to make a series
of changes that would allow freedom of association and enhance workers’ rights.
These include full passage of amendments to the
Industrial Relations Act; full passage of amendments to the Suppression of
Terrorism Act (STA); full passage of amendments to the Public Order Act; full
passage of amendments to sections 40 and 97 of the Industrial Relations Act
relating to civil and criminal liability to union leaders during protest
actions; and establishing a code of conduct for the police during public
protests.
Failure to comply with these changes would see Swaziland lose
the ability to export textile goods to the US without having to pay tariffs
under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). About 20,000 jobs of textile
workers in Swaziland are said to be at stake.
Just as Swaziland was exposed by the US, the judiciary,
appointed by King Mswati, attacked a small independent monthly magazine, the Nation by arresting its editor Bheki
Makhubu and human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko for
writing and publishing articles critical of the Swazi Chief Justice Michael
Ramodibedi. They have been charged with contempt of court. The charges caused
an international outcry which got louder when Makhubu was taken into court in
leg-irons. Both men continue to be held in prison on remand awaiting trial
These are just two of the stories covered by Swazi Media
Commentary during the first three months of 2014 and now published as a
collection: Swaziland: Striving for
Freedom, Volume 13. It is available
free-of-charge on scribd
dot com
The publication documents many of the struggles for human
rights that are taking place in the kingdom. In February, police broke up a
press conference held by the Secretary-General of the African National Congress
(ANC), Gwede Mantashe. Journalists were reportedly ‘frog-marched’ out of the
venue. The briefing was to report on a delegation led by Mantashe the day
before that met with political parties in the kingdom. Political parties are
banned in Swaziland.
Swazi Police continued to shoot-to-kill with impunity.
Among the instances this year was the case of a plain-clothed policeman who shot an unarmed man in the back killing him
while on a public bus. Police later claimed the man had stolen some copper
wire.
Elsewhere, police
armed with batons assaulted children who complained about conditions at their
school.
In March Sikhuphe Airport was finally opened, and renamed
King Mswati III Airport, confirming the belief of critics that the venture was
a vanity project for the King. Despite costing at least E3 billion (US$300
million) to build no airlines have said they will fly into the airport and it
remains unused. There are doubts whether the airport has the necessary
international licence to allow it to operate.
Children continue to have their rights abused in
Swaziland. In March it was reported that warders at a juvenile jail in
Swaziland stripped naked, handcuffed and beat children in their care. They
inserted fingers into girls’ private parts and forced one boy to drink his own
urine.
Swazi Media Commentary has no physical base and is completely independent of any political faction and receives no income from any individual or organisation. People who contribute ideas or write for it do so as volunteers and receive no payment.
Swazi Media Commentary has no physical base and is completely independent of any political faction and receives no income from any individual or organisation. People who contribute ideas or write for it do so as volunteers and receive no payment.
Swazi Media Commentary is published online – updated most days –
bringing information, comment and analysis in support of democracy in the
kingdom.
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