More Plans for Repression in Swaziland

More Plans for Repression in Swaziland

On Monday, the Prime Minister informed Parliament that his government was preparing legislation targeted at public workers who are viewed to be political and critical of the oppressive regime. He boldly declared that his government already has identified targets and the Intelligence Branch will be used to hunt down and identify more targets. All the identified public workers will be forced to resign/denounce their membership in political organization. These are members of political organizations that are anti-status quo in general, PUDEMO in particular is the intended target.

As PUDEMO we have come to the following conclusion with regard to the government’s new repressive strategy:

a)In the near future, there will be politically enforced retrenchments within the public sector especially on those who are critical of the state’s dictatorship.

b)The offensive will not only end in the public sector, but will be extended to the private sector, especially because the king and government hold shares in many of the leading companies and parastatals.

c)Comrades will now be rendered unemployable in the country. Job opportunities will now be reserved as a reward for the passive and those who are pro-status quo. Employers will be forced to either toe the line or lose business.

d)The king’s mandate, that was issued last year when appointing the current Prime Minister, is firmly in motion. The strangulation of critics of the Swazi dictatorial regime is being implemented and varying strategies are constantly being crafted.

All this happens in a country that has its head, King Mswati III, currently entrusted by the SADC to chair the organization’s TROIKA on Peace, Politics and Governance. We ask ourselves if the country really deserves this honour when it has political crises, is an enemy of peace and good governance? Surely this act must be strongly condemned and not allowed to be part of a democratic, progressive and peaceful environment that characterizes the Southern Africa region.


Contacts:
Dep. President – Sikhumbuzo Phakathi 27-731427594
Sec. General – Sphasha Dlamini 268-6089783
Sec. for International Affairs – Sonke Dlamini 27-829231401
Information and Publicity – Zakhele Mabuza 268-6073453