NAKED STATE PROPAGANDA TO PROMOTE OFFENSIVE AGAINST CALLS FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION
8 March 2009
As PUDEMO, we wish to address ourselves to two important issues as propagated by the royal regime in Swaziland with regard to what the state called ‘salary increase’, for workers in the public sector, and the so called proposed ‘national dialogue.’ As the vanguard organization we wish to clearly state that we disagree and condemn this state propaganda aimed at patronizing the populace.
1. Salary increase
The so much publicized declaration that the Finance Minister has requested Parliament to approve of a supplementary budget, so as to finance a planned increase in the salaries of public workers, is not honest. Workers in the public sector must be informed that the money requested is not meant to benefit them. On the contrary, it is meant to finance the king’s project of ‘strangling’ the democracy seeking elements in the country by all means necessary. We recognize that the police are going to benefit, but at a limited scale. The real destination of the bulk of the money is the military. The leadership of this country no longer has complete trust in the police force, but has full trust on the army in the campaign to suppress calls for democracy in the country. It is not a co-incidence that a new Ministry of Defence is soon to be created with the view to work towards sustaining the dictatorial regime. The regime is using the name of the public workers in its plan to finance the ever growing repression in the country!
2. National Dialogue
Responding to the growing pressure domestically and internationally for the Swazi regime to democratize, the government has resorted to its old tricks again in an effort to ease the pressure! Addressing editors this week, the Prime Minister declared that the regime is preparing for a national dialogue to resolve the political challenges in the country. However, he emphasized that the agenda will be pre-determined by the state and cannot be changed by anyone; and only labour formations will be invited to attend! We view this as cheap propaganda by the state aimed at deceiving the local populace as well as the international community that something is being done to address the peoples concerns on the political crises that the country finds itself in. PUDEMO condemns and does not recognize this initiative, but view it as poisonous propaganda which must not be accepted and believed by our people and the international community. In 1992, PUDEMO clearly put forward the correct and all inclusive approach to be adopted towards democratizing the politics of the country. As it is, we see no commitment from the King and his government towards embarking on a process towards genuine democratic transition in Swaziland; and the representation is not broad based. The regime seeks to undermine the existence of political parties including PUDEMO and its influence in the struggle for democratic change. We still maintain that there can be no democratic process without the involvement of political parties; and a broad based representation in the process.
Contacts
Deputy President - Sikhumbuzo Phakathi 0731427594
Sec General - Spasha Dlamini 009268 6089783
Sec for International Affairs - Sonke Dlamini 0829231401
Sec for Publicity and Information - Zakhele Mabuza 009268 6073453
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
STATEMENT ON SWAZILAND’S BUDGET FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRATIC FORCES
STATEMENT ON SWAZILAND’S BUDGET FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRATIC FORCES
5 March 2009
We wish to remind our friends and allies, locally and abroad, that the king’s mandate of suppressing voices calling for democracy in Swaziland is still alive. The king’s cabinet is fully determined to carryout the mandate. The Finance Minister made it known that this financial year the regime has made a special budget for this mandate amounting to R43 million ($4.7m).
We further note the arrogance of the state security agents as represented by the Police Commissioner, in his press statement this week, when he declared that they will suppress any protest marches in demand for democracy in the country with ‘military precision.’ This follows the successful rally last weekend by our Youth League. With all this money and threats we have reason enough to believe and suspect that the state is even preparing itself to create killer squads as part fulfillment of the king’s mandate to hunt down perceived enemies of the regime, both domestically and outside the borders of the country. This is happening at a time when the king is Head of the SADC Troika, an organ that is tasked with ensuring democratic governance and peace in member states. We condemn this misplaced priority and wastage of national resources when:
Unemployment has exceeded 40% recently.
HIV/AIDS also stands at over 40%.
Health care is very poor and inaccessible to the majority and poverty stricken population that make up 70% of the overall populace.
There is lack of clean water and accessible roads in rural communities.
The government cannot afford to provide free education.
All that is in the mind of the Swazi regime is to spend available resources to kill, maim, harass and suppress the democratic forces in the country.
However, PUDEMO remains resolute and focused on the national demands which are:
The introduction of constitutional multiparty democracy that shall guarantee the freedom of association, assembly and expression.
An end to the 36 year old state of emergency.
A people driven national constitution.
The scrapping of the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008.
The release of President Mario Masuku.
The return of all political exiles.
Surely the SADC region cannot afford to continue harboring this dirty sport in its midst!
Contacts:
Deputy President – Sikhumbuzo Phakathi 27-731427594
Sec. General – Sphasha Dlamini 268 6089783
Publicity Sec. – Zakhele Mabuza 268 6073453
5 March 2009
We wish to remind our friends and allies, locally and abroad, that the king’s mandate of suppressing voices calling for democracy in Swaziland is still alive. The king’s cabinet is fully determined to carryout the mandate. The Finance Minister made it known that this financial year the regime has made a special budget for this mandate amounting to R43 million ($4.7m).
We further note the arrogance of the state security agents as represented by the Police Commissioner, in his press statement this week, when he declared that they will suppress any protest marches in demand for democracy in the country with ‘military precision.’ This follows the successful rally last weekend by our Youth League. With all this money and threats we have reason enough to believe and suspect that the state is even preparing itself to create killer squads as part fulfillment of the king’s mandate to hunt down perceived enemies of the regime, both domestically and outside the borders of the country. This is happening at a time when the king is Head of the SADC Troika, an organ that is tasked with ensuring democratic governance and peace in member states. We condemn this misplaced priority and wastage of national resources when:
Unemployment has exceeded 40% recently.
HIV/AIDS also stands at over 40%.
Health care is very poor and inaccessible to the majority and poverty stricken population that make up 70% of the overall populace.
There is lack of clean water and accessible roads in rural communities.
The government cannot afford to provide free education.
All that is in the mind of the Swazi regime is to spend available resources to kill, maim, harass and suppress the democratic forces in the country.
However, PUDEMO remains resolute and focused on the national demands which are:
The introduction of constitutional multiparty democracy that shall guarantee the freedom of association, assembly and expression.
An end to the 36 year old state of emergency.
A people driven national constitution.
The scrapping of the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008.
The release of President Mario Masuku.
The return of all political exiles.
Surely the SADC region cannot afford to continue harboring this dirty sport in its midst!
Contacts:
Deputy President – Sikhumbuzo Phakathi 27-731427594
Sec. General – Sphasha Dlamini 268 6089783
Publicity Sec. – Zakhele Mabuza 268 6073453
Sunday, March 1, 2009
STATEMENT ON THE PUDEMO YOUTH LEAGUE (SWAYOCO) RALLY MARCH 1, 2009
PUDEMO Statement:
STATEMENT ON THE PUDEMO YOUTH LEAGUE (SWAYOCO) RALLY
ISSUED ON 1 MARCH 2009
The Youth League of PUDEMO successfully organized and held a rally yesterday (28 February) in the township of Msunduza in Mbabane. This was against the backdrop of arrogant threats by the Swazi regime that the rally must not be held because SWAYOCO is banned and so cannot freely operate in the country.
It must be noted that the objectives of the rally centred on the very issue of lack of democracy in the way the country is governed. Thus the Youth League demanded:
The release of the PUDEMO President, Mario Masuku detained under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 that is meant to target and deal with all those who are perceived as anti-status quo. The regime still refuses him visitation rights in complete and arrogant defiance of a ruling by the High Court of Swaziland that the rights must be restored.
The introduction of a constitutional multiparty democratic order in Swaziland that will guarantee freedom of speech, assembly and association.
The provision of basic, very necessary services to the people including free education, quality health care, meaningful social grants to the elderly, clean water, accessible roads, etc.
We further note that the regime continued to display its arrogance by deploying scores of armed security personnel in the capital city just to ensure that the rally does not succeed as the Police Commissioner had promised. However, against all these threats the rally went on and was successful, marking an important victory in the struggle for democracy in Swaziland.
That the state decided to unleash a huge amount of force in an attempt to stop the rally is further proof that the country is a dictatorship that cannot be accepted in the modern world. In its effort to stop the youth from expressing their demands, the whole area was turned into a war zone by the state police. In the process, young children, vendors and the whole community was not sparred from the police violence. Several comrades including the SWAYOCO President Wandile Dludlu are currently detained under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and the state security agents still continue to hunt down more with the intention of detaining them. However, this is victory to the struggle for democracy and a huge blow to the dictatorial regime in Swaziland.
Contacts:
Information and Publicity – Zakhele Mabuza 268-607-3453
Secretary General – Sphasha Dlamini 268-608-9783
Deputy President – Sikhumbuzo Phakathi 27-73-142-7594
Sec. for International Affairs (SWAYOCO) – Siyabonga Hlongwane 27-79467577
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Durban Declaration: Extraordinary Congress of PUDEMO held 16-18 January 2009
Durban Declaration
Extraordinary Congress of PUDEMO held 16-18 January 2009
“The People Must Be and Will Be Free!"
Introduction
Concluding the second leg of our Extra-Ordinary Congress in Durban, we the delegates representing PUDEMO structures throughout Swaziland and the mass of our people in workplaces, rural areas, social and cultural centers, educational institutions, and every other space where our people are found, hereby fully accept the responsibility placed on our shoulders by the historic expectations and tasks arising from the political situation in our country.
We are gathered as freedom fighters and revolutionary militants responding to the emergencies imposed by the growing conditions of desperation, hopelessness, political suppression, hunger, extreme poverty and unemployment in our country. Our people want change now. They want a better life with improved material conditions. They no longer need promises and empathy but decisive action. They want a clear direction about the next step that we should, as an oppressed people, take towards eradicating the source of our collective misery.
We affirm the centrality of PUDEMO as a critical force for liberation in Swaziland, with the full responsibility to build, co-ordinate and support our people’s efforts towards their own liberation. It is with the fullest appreciation of this situation that we take seriously the tasks assigned to us by the situation in our country and our declared commitment to change the situation in the interest of the poor and oppressed masses of our country.
We also extend our warmest and most profound salutation to our President, Comrade Mario Masuku, the gallant son of the Swazi people, who is currently in a tinkhundla jail (Matsapha Central Prison) for his courage, inspiration and untiring determination to lead our people to their desired freedom. He is held on false and baseless charges of terrorism. Tinkhundla seeks to demonize him; destroy his spirit of determination and resilience; isolate him from the masses of our people who adore him and on whose behalf he has made all the sacrifices. The tinkhundla regime will fail dismally in their immoral efforts!
We recognize that in trying to destroy him by constantly jailing him, the tinkhundla regime has only served to reaffirm the fullest confidence of the people, and the international community, in Cde Mario Masuku; the Movement he leads and the nobility of the cause he stands for.
We also note that the levels of harassment, arrest, intimidation and victimization of PUDEMO members and activists have dramatically escalated in the recent past because the regime has engaged in a full-blown policy to suffocate dissenting political views in line with mandate given by the head of state to his current cabinet.
We take this opportunity to salute our fallen heroes, in particular, our Deputy President Dr Gabriel Mkhumane who was assassinated in cold blood and our devoted cadre, MJ Dlamini, who fell in the line of duty, as well as that outstanding internationalist, Jack Govender who died in the cause of other people. We also demand the immediate and unconditional release of our dear comrade Amos Mbedzi, who is languishing in tinkhundla jails and who has suffered severe torture for supporting the struggle of the Swazi people.
PUDEMO: The tested weapon of our people’s desire to build a new and democratic Swaziland
PUDEMO is synonymous with liberation. It has become a buzzword for change and an icon of the people’s aspirations in Swaziland. It is very clear to everyone that there is no genuine solution to the crisis in Swaziland outside engagement with PUDEMO and the mass democratic movement as a whole. Surely, for any lasting solution to emerge in Swaziland the people’s organizations must be involved and the people’s demands must be the determinant factor. This means the people must own and control the entire process of engagement.
PUDEMO emerged in the context of an extremely hostile political environment, characterized by demonizing propaganda, state brutality and even a corrupt moral fibre and economic setup that enriches only a few parasites at the expense of the poor majority of our people. PUDEMO had to contest tinkhundla hegemony and create space for a new democratic and progressive culture where respect for human rights and dignity are central. Through bitter struggles, PUDEMO has contributed in transforming the political landscape towards the realization of the goals set out in the People’s Manifesto.
We have come a long way, with difficulties, challenges, advances and setbacks. Certain tendencies in the very recent past point to the need for intensified induction of members, political education and cadreship development as part of an established culture in the movement. There is also a need for strengthening of a culture of discipline and high moral standards in our society through the exemplary conduct of PUDEMO cadres in struggle.
PUDEMO represents the most advanced, highly disciplined and unwaveringly dedicated members of society and this must be upheld as a yardstick for the renewal of our noble traditions and principles. PUDEMO members do all, everything, for the people and nothing against them!
This Extra-Ordinary Congress calls upon all cadres of PUDEMO, other Swazi patriots and democracy-loving people all over the world to heed one call: “a day more of tinkhundla suffering means more deaths from curable diseases, more hunger, more unemployment, more arrests and more royal extravagance and corruption."
Charting a New Path: Those who do not fight are voluntarily choosing to perish!
The Extra-Ordinary Congress conducted a mid-term review of our political programme since the last National Congress in 2006; also provided an opportunity to reflect on the state of PUDEMO and the urgent need to reposition our movement in order to decisively respond to the current political environment in our country. It also sought to put PUDEMO at the center of the people struggle to be free by acting to inspire confidence towards renewed momentum.
A five-point focus plan was adopted towards this end:
*We reaffirm our determination that the people will and must be free. In this instance, we noted that while major progress has been made in several areas and fronts of our struggle, a lot still remains to be done. Therefore, Congress calls upon the NEC to immediately consolidate the Road Map Operational Plan as adopted at Ermelo in 2007 to take forward the 2006 Congress directives even more decisively by convening a Special NGC session for that purpose. The plan should have clear targets, time frames and implementation strategy. It should take us to the next Congress, through mass action and rolling activism.
*In the wake of tinkhundla royal intensified terror, with the enactment of the Suppression of Terrorism Act as the epitome of that, which has resulted in the arrest of our President Cde Mario Masuku on false charges of terrorism, we once again, reaffirm our salutations to this gallant and heroic son of our people and freedom fighter. We pledge our unconditional support to him for his outstanding courage, bravery, visionary inspiration and leadership by example. He has vehemently refused to be cowed into submission by tinkhundla persecution.
In relation to the arrest of the People’s President, we hereby resolve:
1: To prioritize as a matter of urgency a well-coordinated and clearly articulated campaign for the unconditional release of our President Cde Mario Masuku. The NEC soonest possible must assemble a task team for this purpose.
2: To intensify the campaign against the draconian Suppression of Terrorism Act and all undemocratic laws in order to stimulate further the momentum towards multi-party democracy and freedom in Swaziland.
3: To carefully and cohesively integrate all four of our struggles into an effective, efficient and mutually reinforcing and well-coordinated strategy, with all pillars equally and fully at work in a manner that ensures they fully complement each other. Towards that end, we reaffirm the existence of fully active structures both above and below surface which must be strengthened and capacitated to meet the challenges of the new era much more effectively and in a sustainable manner.
*We recognize SWAYOCO as an autonomous body within PUDEMO, which requires that we ensure at all times and in the best interests of our struggle, we provide all the necessary support and prudent guidance to our youth movement with honesty and firmness but without compromising its autonomy and space to critically engage issues. Therefore, in our pursuit of the highest standards of democratic organisation, constitutional supremacy and organizational discipline built on our historic traditions, policies and revolutionary imperatives, we hereby welcome and adopt the report presented to Congress on the events at the recent SWAYOCO Extra ordinary Congress and the steps taken to resolve them, which culminated in the NGC decision to reinstate the democratically elected NEC of SWAYOCO. We further call upon the NEC to develop a clear and concrete action plan to assist SWAYOCO deepen its organizational capacity and strength in the face of the growing challenges; urgency of unity and organizational cohesion, so that the main focus remain the real enemy of our people, the tinkhundla savage system.
*The need for a bold, decisive and urgent effort to strengthen the Swazi solidarity movement all over the world to reposition the global momentum and profile of the Swazi struggle as well as upgrade its scale given the latest developments in the country. This requires a profoundly improved capacity for PUDEMO to coordinate all these efforts and activities. PUDEMO must always make decisive interventions to protect and advance the good image of the Swazi people’s struggle and that of the movement as a critical force at the helm of that very noble cause.
Conclusion
“if yesterday belonged to tinkhundla oppression, surely, tomorrow belongs to the people. This means, today…..we must begin our journey…..to a new democratic Swaziland based on the aspirations of the people.” Road Map Programme of PUDEMO (2006).
PUDEMO must continue to prove in the battlefield that it is the true leader of the people and that it is at the center of a political solution to our country’s deepening crisis. Never again shall this giant of the people’s struggle be ignored. The challenge remains for all PUDEMO cadres to increase the momentum through high moral standards, humility and honest leadership in struggle.
We also wish to convey fraternal greetings to all people struggling for democracy and justice across the globe. We continue to call for peace, justice and democracy for all and support all efforts towards that end. It is in our interest to live in a peaceful world, but there can be no peace without justice. Therefore, we are all required to struggle for justice.
Extraordinary Congress of PUDEMO held 16-18 January 2009
“The People Must Be and Will Be Free!"
Introduction
Concluding the second leg of our Extra-Ordinary Congress in Durban, we the delegates representing PUDEMO structures throughout Swaziland and the mass of our people in workplaces, rural areas, social and cultural centers, educational institutions, and every other space where our people are found, hereby fully accept the responsibility placed on our shoulders by the historic expectations and tasks arising from the political situation in our country.
We are gathered as freedom fighters and revolutionary militants responding to the emergencies imposed by the growing conditions of desperation, hopelessness, political suppression, hunger, extreme poverty and unemployment in our country. Our people want change now. They want a better life with improved material conditions. They no longer need promises and empathy but decisive action. They want a clear direction about the next step that we should, as an oppressed people, take towards eradicating the source of our collective misery.
We affirm the centrality of PUDEMO as a critical force for liberation in Swaziland, with the full responsibility to build, co-ordinate and support our people’s efforts towards their own liberation. It is with the fullest appreciation of this situation that we take seriously the tasks assigned to us by the situation in our country and our declared commitment to change the situation in the interest of the poor and oppressed masses of our country.
We also extend our warmest and most profound salutation to our President, Comrade Mario Masuku, the gallant son of the Swazi people, who is currently in a tinkhundla jail (Matsapha Central Prison) for his courage, inspiration and untiring determination to lead our people to their desired freedom. He is held on false and baseless charges of terrorism. Tinkhundla seeks to demonize him; destroy his spirit of determination and resilience; isolate him from the masses of our people who adore him and on whose behalf he has made all the sacrifices. The tinkhundla regime will fail dismally in their immoral efforts!
We recognize that in trying to destroy him by constantly jailing him, the tinkhundla regime has only served to reaffirm the fullest confidence of the people, and the international community, in Cde Mario Masuku; the Movement he leads and the nobility of the cause he stands for.
We also note that the levels of harassment, arrest, intimidation and victimization of PUDEMO members and activists have dramatically escalated in the recent past because the regime has engaged in a full-blown policy to suffocate dissenting political views in line with mandate given by the head of state to his current cabinet.
We take this opportunity to salute our fallen heroes, in particular, our Deputy President Dr Gabriel Mkhumane who was assassinated in cold blood and our devoted cadre, MJ Dlamini, who fell in the line of duty, as well as that outstanding internationalist, Jack Govender who died in the cause of other people. We also demand the immediate and unconditional release of our dear comrade Amos Mbedzi, who is languishing in tinkhundla jails and who has suffered severe torture for supporting the struggle of the Swazi people.
PUDEMO: The tested weapon of our people’s desire to build a new and democratic Swaziland
PUDEMO is synonymous with liberation. It has become a buzzword for change and an icon of the people’s aspirations in Swaziland. It is very clear to everyone that there is no genuine solution to the crisis in Swaziland outside engagement with PUDEMO and the mass democratic movement as a whole. Surely, for any lasting solution to emerge in Swaziland the people’s organizations must be involved and the people’s demands must be the determinant factor. This means the people must own and control the entire process of engagement.
PUDEMO emerged in the context of an extremely hostile political environment, characterized by demonizing propaganda, state brutality and even a corrupt moral fibre and economic setup that enriches only a few parasites at the expense of the poor majority of our people. PUDEMO had to contest tinkhundla hegemony and create space for a new democratic and progressive culture where respect for human rights and dignity are central. Through bitter struggles, PUDEMO has contributed in transforming the political landscape towards the realization of the goals set out in the People’s Manifesto.
We have come a long way, with difficulties, challenges, advances and setbacks. Certain tendencies in the very recent past point to the need for intensified induction of members, political education and cadreship development as part of an established culture in the movement. There is also a need for strengthening of a culture of discipline and high moral standards in our society through the exemplary conduct of PUDEMO cadres in struggle.
PUDEMO represents the most advanced, highly disciplined and unwaveringly dedicated members of society and this must be upheld as a yardstick for the renewal of our noble traditions and principles. PUDEMO members do all, everything, for the people and nothing against them!
This Extra-Ordinary Congress calls upon all cadres of PUDEMO, other Swazi patriots and democracy-loving people all over the world to heed one call: “a day more of tinkhundla suffering means more deaths from curable diseases, more hunger, more unemployment, more arrests and more royal extravagance and corruption."
Charting a New Path: Those who do not fight are voluntarily choosing to perish!
The Extra-Ordinary Congress conducted a mid-term review of our political programme since the last National Congress in 2006; also provided an opportunity to reflect on the state of PUDEMO and the urgent need to reposition our movement in order to decisively respond to the current political environment in our country. It also sought to put PUDEMO at the center of the people struggle to be free by acting to inspire confidence towards renewed momentum.
A five-point focus plan was adopted towards this end:
*We reaffirm our determination that the people will and must be free. In this instance, we noted that while major progress has been made in several areas and fronts of our struggle, a lot still remains to be done. Therefore, Congress calls upon the NEC to immediately consolidate the Road Map Operational Plan as adopted at Ermelo in 2007 to take forward the 2006 Congress directives even more decisively by convening a Special NGC session for that purpose. The plan should have clear targets, time frames and implementation strategy. It should take us to the next Congress, through mass action and rolling activism.
*In the wake of tinkhundla royal intensified terror, with the enactment of the Suppression of Terrorism Act as the epitome of that, which has resulted in the arrest of our President Cde Mario Masuku on false charges of terrorism, we once again, reaffirm our salutations to this gallant and heroic son of our people and freedom fighter. We pledge our unconditional support to him for his outstanding courage, bravery, visionary inspiration and leadership by example. He has vehemently refused to be cowed into submission by tinkhundla persecution.
In relation to the arrest of the People’s President, we hereby resolve:
1: To prioritize as a matter of urgency a well-coordinated and clearly articulated campaign for the unconditional release of our President Cde Mario Masuku. The NEC soonest possible must assemble a task team for this purpose.
2: To intensify the campaign against the draconian Suppression of Terrorism Act and all undemocratic laws in order to stimulate further the momentum towards multi-party democracy and freedom in Swaziland.
3: To carefully and cohesively integrate all four of our struggles into an effective, efficient and mutually reinforcing and well-coordinated strategy, with all pillars equally and fully at work in a manner that ensures they fully complement each other. Towards that end, we reaffirm the existence of fully active structures both above and below surface which must be strengthened and capacitated to meet the challenges of the new era much more effectively and in a sustainable manner.
*We recognize SWAYOCO as an autonomous body within PUDEMO, which requires that we ensure at all times and in the best interests of our struggle, we provide all the necessary support and prudent guidance to our youth movement with honesty and firmness but without compromising its autonomy and space to critically engage issues. Therefore, in our pursuit of the highest standards of democratic organisation, constitutional supremacy and organizational discipline built on our historic traditions, policies and revolutionary imperatives, we hereby welcome and adopt the report presented to Congress on the events at the recent SWAYOCO Extra ordinary Congress and the steps taken to resolve them, which culminated in the NGC decision to reinstate the democratically elected NEC of SWAYOCO. We further call upon the NEC to develop a clear and concrete action plan to assist SWAYOCO deepen its organizational capacity and strength in the face of the growing challenges; urgency of unity and organizational cohesion, so that the main focus remain the real enemy of our people, the tinkhundla savage system.
*The need for a bold, decisive and urgent effort to strengthen the Swazi solidarity movement all over the world to reposition the global momentum and profile of the Swazi struggle as well as upgrade its scale given the latest developments in the country. This requires a profoundly improved capacity for PUDEMO to coordinate all these efforts and activities. PUDEMO must always make decisive interventions to protect and advance the good image of the Swazi people’s struggle and that of the movement as a critical force at the helm of that very noble cause.
Conclusion
“if yesterday belonged to tinkhundla oppression, surely, tomorrow belongs to the people. This means, today…..we must begin our journey…..to a new democratic Swaziland based on the aspirations of the people.” Road Map Programme of PUDEMO (2006).
PUDEMO must continue to prove in the battlefield that it is the true leader of the people and that it is at the center of a political solution to our country’s deepening crisis. Never again shall this giant of the people’s struggle be ignored. The challenge remains for all PUDEMO cadres to increase the momentum through high moral standards, humility and honest leadership in struggle.
We also wish to convey fraternal greetings to all people struggling for democracy and justice across the globe. We continue to call for peace, justice and democracy for all and support all efforts towards that end. It is in our interest to live in a peaceful world, but there can be no peace without justice. Therefore, we are all required to struggle for justice.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Royal terrorists protect their interests at the expense of peoples' lives
Viva the People’s struggle Viva!!
Royal Terrorist Against the People of Swaziland & their Struggle.
Victory to the People's Struggle. Phansi nge Royal Terror Phansi!
The struggle will triumph; the scale will tilt, through labour and pain we shall Overcome.
Royal terrorists protect their interests at the expense of peoples' lives
Introduction
What will be left for the people with their hope of freedom when the peoples' hope, PUDEMO, could be allowed to be destroyed by the royal criminals? This moment is a test to the commitment and determination of the people in their desire for freedom and social prosperity. Mswati’s terror campaign deserves the utmost response from all democracy loving people of our country and the world.
Mswati continues to insult the integrity of the people of our land, and the world, to say laws of aggression are equivalent to a peaceful transition to democracy. We had doubted his reasoning ability yet accepted it to some degree but now he has taken it too far and to a point that endangers our lives and the future of our country; its people, environment and entire habitation. His madness has reached an intolerable point. To allow him authority and power over our land will be our contribution to the destruction of our country to which new generations will condemn us even at our demise.
Mswati has declared our country a "terrorist" country. He has passed "terror" laws and assumes the front line position in the implementation of these "terror" acts. He mobilizes his armed forces to advance his "terror" interests. He goes beyond all that and undermines the peoples' intelligence by calling upon the nation to accept and adapt to his "terror" interests. He has terrorized our communities.
He has made our society celebrate all his dirty acts with bleeding hearts. With all this he is still not satisfied, he needs more and now he wants all of us to lie down so that he can walk over us as carpet. Enough is enough! Let's all call it over, stand firm in our struggle for freedom and the liberation of our country before we lose it all. We will use all means at our disposal to defend our dignity. No rule of terror can stop us from finishing this last and important lap our struggle. Let’s make Mswati pay for the price of our freedom.
State of emergency- Reign of terror!
The regime intensifies its rule of terror by reinforcing the 1973 decree which is constantly being weakened by the peoples' struggle. Pillars of the people’s freedom have grown all over the country, students, workers, women, disabled, unemployed, rural, professional and many more have worked extremely hard under difficult conditions to build their hope, PUDEMO, to lead them to the liberation victory -a victory for the majority of the oppressed people of our land. Mswati wants to destroy these efforts over his night dream. It is only those weakened, like the opportunists in his parliament, who can allow the efforts of the people to be watered down. But they constitute a weak and vulnerable minority that will perish without history and they will be judged for their action. History never forgets.
Who in our land can accept royal criminals to terrorize the wealth of our country, abuse and loot our resources, abuse women and young children, evict people from the land of their birth, promote slave labour, or legalize fraud and corruption because she or he is afraid of being labeled a terrorist by Mswati! This means anyone who expresses her or his conscious is a terrorist and must be arrested and or killed. This is what Mswati has concluded and his parliament has approved. We must prove all of them failures including his right-hand men whom he has organized for these criminal acts.
Mswati has a hope that he can maintain his criminal life by obstructing people with violence. We promise him that he is a failure both in his thinking and in his dreams. Violence is not his monopoly - even a tamed dog can not allow its owner to monopolize violence. If animals with a lower mental capacity than humans can reason and act successfully against violence upon themselves, how can we fail to unleash an even more violent strength than his. We are in a better position for violent action against him than he has against us.
Power to the people
To all the people of our land who love peace and democracy, to whom this terror is directed: we must stand up in unity against these evil policies and acts of royal greed. The aim of this "terror" programmed by Mswati aims at nothing more than to raise the empire of the royal state against the people. It’s the destructive creation of a new lifestyle of our society; if not defeated, it will subjugate people to fear and expose not only our wealth but also our lives to danger and to a terrible point of demise.
Mswati’s terror infrastructure must be destroyed even to the point of its sustenance. New personal has been mobilized quite greased with world class vehicles, technology and weapons Mswati amasses from his allies in the world market of dirt and cruelty. The industries in the country that choose to pay workers low wages and give Mswati the rest, in order to grease his terror infrastructure, must not be spared but be targets of sabotage. We must unite to investigate the operations of this infrastructure and the economy in order to make informed decisions to guide our action. This moment defines the trying times of the history of our struggle which we must survive at all costs.
Action and only Action for our survival
*People must always be ready to mill on the streets to protest about this evils, arrogance, stubbornness and failures of the royal government.
*Boycott and destroy all Mswati and his friend’s businesses and institutions.
*Destroy all forms of government’s symbols of oppression.
*Destroy all the installations that keep the oppressive government alive and all that keep the rule of terror - including its personnel - as a matter of survival. The state of emergence must be resisted by all means necessary.
Mswati must be defeated in his own game for the victory of our struggle and triumph of peace and democracy in our land. AMANDLA!
FORWARD TO THE DEFIANCE CAMPAIGN
Royal Terrorist Against the People of Swaziland & their Struggle.
Victory to the People's Struggle. Phansi nge Royal Terror Phansi!
The struggle will triumph; the scale will tilt, through labour and pain we shall Overcome.
Royal terrorists protect their interests at the expense of peoples' lives
Introduction
What will be left for the people with their hope of freedom when the peoples' hope, PUDEMO, could be allowed to be destroyed by the royal criminals? This moment is a test to the commitment and determination of the people in their desire for freedom and social prosperity. Mswati’s terror campaign deserves the utmost response from all democracy loving people of our country and the world.
Mswati continues to insult the integrity of the people of our land, and the world, to say laws of aggression are equivalent to a peaceful transition to democracy. We had doubted his reasoning ability yet accepted it to some degree but now he has taken it too far and to a point that endangers our lives and the future of our country; its people, environment and entire habitation. His madness has reached an intolerable point. To allow him authority and power over our land will be our contribution to the destruction of our country to which new generations will condemn us even at our demise.
Mswati has declared our country a "terrorist" country. He has passed "terror" laws and assumes the front line position in the implementation of these "terror" acts. He mobilizes his armed forces to advance his "terror" interests. He goes beyond all that and undermines the peoples' intelligence by calling upon the nation to accept and adapt to his "terror" interests. He has terrorized our communities.
He has made our society celebrate all his dirty acts with bleeding hearts. With all this he is still not satisfied, he needs more and now he wants all of us to lie down so that he can walk over us as carpet. Enough is enough! Let's all call it over, stand firm in our struggle for freedom and the liberation of our country before we lose it all. We will use all means at our disposal to defend our dignity. No rule of terror can stop us from finishing this last and important lap our struggle. Let’s make Mswati pay for the price of our freedom.
State of emergency- Reign of terror!
The regime intensifies its rule of terror by reinforcing the 1973 decree which is constantly being weakened by the peoples' struggle. Pillars of the people’s freedom have grown all over the country, students, workers, women, disabled, unemployed, rural, professional and many more have worked extremely hard under difficult conditions to build their hope, PUDEMO, to lead them to the liberation victory -a victory for the majority of the oppressed people of our land. Mswati wants to destroy these efforts over his night dream. It is only those weakened, like the opportunists in his parliament, who can allow the efforts of the people to be watered down. But they constitute a weak and vulnerable minority that will perish without history and they will be judged for their action. History never forgets.
Who in our land can accept royal criminals to terrorize the wealth of our country, abuse and loot our resources, abuse women and young children, evict people from the land of their birth, promote slave labour, or legalize fraud and corruption because she or he is afraid of being labeled a terrorist by Mswati! This means anyone who expresses her or his conscious is a terrorist and must be arrested and or killed. This is what Mswati has concluded and his parliament has approved. We must prove all of them failures including his right-hand men whom he has organized for these criminal acts.
Mswati has a hope that he can maintain his criminal life by obstructing people with violence. We promise him that he is a failure both in his thinking and in his dreams. Violence is not his monopoly - even a tamed dog can not allow its owner to monopolize violence. If animals with a lower mental capacity than humans can reason and act successfully against violence upon themselves, how can we fail to unleash an even more violent strength than his. We are in a better position for violent action against him than he has against us.
Power to the people
To all the people of our land who love peace and democracy, to whom this terror is directed: we must stand up in unity against these evil policies and acts of royal greed. The aim of this "terror" programmed by Mswati aims at nothing more than to raise the empire of the royal state against the people. It’s the destructive creation of a new lifestyle of our society; if not defeated, it will subjugate people to fear and expose not only our wealth but also our lives to danger and to a terrible point of demise.
Mswati’s terror infrastructure must be destroyed even to the point of its sustenance. New personal has been mobilized quite greased with world class vehicles, technology and weapons Mswati amasses from his allies in the world market of dirt and cruelty. The industries in the country that choose to pay workers low wages and give Mswati the rest, in order to grease his terror infrastructure, must not be spared but be targets of sabotage. We must unite to investigate the operations of this infrastructure and the economy in order to make informed decisions to guide our action. This moment defines the trying times of the history of our struggle which we must survive at all costs.
Action and only Action for our survival
*People must always be ready to mill on the streets to protest about this evils, arrogance, stubbornness and failures of the royal government.
*Boycott and destroy all Mswati and his friend’s businesses and institutions.
*Destroy all forms of government’s symbols of oppression.
*Destroy all the installations that keep the oppressive government alive and all that keep the rule of terror - including its personnel - as a matter of survival. The state of emergence must be resisted by all means necessary.
Mswati must be defeated in his own game for the victory of our struggle and triumph of peace and democracy in our land. AMANDLA!
FORWARD TO THE DEFIANCE CAMPAIGN
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
PUDEMO End of Year Statement 2008
The People’s United Democratic Movement’s (PUDEMO) End of Year Statement
PUDEMO wishes to extend revolutionary and the warmest greetings to the fellow people of Swaziland and the peace and democracy loving citizens of the world. As we enter the year 2009, we are saying let us endure the pain and suffering together and travel this last mile to a new and democratic Swaziland . We call upon all of our structures within and outside the country to stand up to the task ahead and fulfil the revolutionary strategic objective of PUDEMO.
As we make a cross-over to the New Year, we are ware that tinkhundla has continued to force its misrule, characterised by oppression and exploitation, to the people of our country. We are aware of the fact that tens of thousands of half-naked and desperate children are on the streets and have deliberately been rejected by tinkhundla regime. The people’s movement is also aware of the reality that there are no drugs in hospitals owing to the dilapidating health care system that has been produced by this regime – our people are dying! We are as well cognizant of the incontrovertible fact that there are hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken citizens who are without such basics as food and clean water, particularly in the remote area. We are further aware of the continuous exploitation of workers and the treating of Swazis as subjects and not citizens in their own land. Also, we do not forget that a majority of Swazis do not own land and that many are still victims of the regime’s senseless land evictions. The only message we can pass to our suffering people is that the Tinkhundla Empire is crumbling and that before you know it, the system will have been destroyed and replaced with a people driven system.
The year 2008 has not been smooth for our mass-based democratic movement. What with the brutal and barbaric assassination of our deputy president Dr. Gabriel Thandokuhle Mkhumane who was shot dead at KaNyamazane in the republic of South Africa where he was living as an exile. As PUDEMO, we still maintain that the senseless killing of this gallant servant of the Swazi people was political and that the truth shall be revealed in future.
There are many cadres who have died in our movement and whose blood shall water the tree of liberation. We pledge ourselves to lift up the spear and continue the noble fight. A majority of our comrades have continuously been threatened and terrorised by state police while some have been forced into exile. Be that as it may, all these have strengthened our glorious movement and have given it more power to soldier on. In fact, today we are stronger than yesterday.
Sadly, we had entered the year 2008 with many police brutality instances and we say one day the people of Swaziland shall be defended. The police declared war as they assaulted UNISWA students who were demanding their right to quality education. Textile workers were also assaulted by state police as they were engaged in a legal strike action. In both the students and the textile workers’ struggles, the police used live bullets to shoot peaceful citizens of the land! We repeat that one day the people shall be defended and we do not intent to threaten anyone when we say that.
The police also attacked members of the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), including its leaders, during a border blockade activity that was meant at raising the international awareness on the Swazi struggle for democracy. A group of peaceful PUDEMO members, including its leaders, were severely beaten and detained by tinkhundla police during a PUDEMO day rally in Manzini in July. Swayoco and PUDEMO members, including the people’s president, were subjected to the same treatment during a march that was organised by our youth league recently. The march had been allowed by the city council of Mbabane and the police but was stopped by the police on the actual day. It was intended to demand from the prime minister the resumption of the treason trial with which many of our members were charged and are out on bail. The continuous assault on political activists by police confirms what PUDEMO has been saying over the years; that the security forces are for the ruling elite and not the ordinary people of Swaziland and that they are used to harass the advocates of democracy in our country. However, more than the hatred of the pain to which we are subjected to on daily basis is our hatred of the conditions to which our people are subjected to throughout this country. We want to liberate all our people and we shall achieve this by all means necessary.
PUDEMO is not taken by surprise on the sudden banning of the people’s vanguard for the second time. Also, we are equally not surprised by the new suppression of terrorism Act and the incarceration of the people’s president Cde Mario Masuku. Such things are bound to happen in a country that is a dictatorship. We take comfort from history since such have happened to almost all liberation movements the world over. On the incarceration of our leader, we want to warn the regime by overemphasizing what we have just said; that we shall do all that is in our power to defend our
leaders, organization and the people of our country against everything that threatens the Swaziland Democratic Revolution (SDR). Only time will tell.
The regime also defied warning from progressives and the international community and went on to host the luxurious 40/40 double celebrations and thereby squandering millions of the tax payers’ money. Again here, this confirmed what PUDEMO has been saying over the years; that we are waging a struggle against an autocratic regime that has got a high appetite for leisure. The ordinary Swazi never benefited anything from those so called celebrations.
Of fundamental note is that the regime continues to ignore international conventions on democratic, free and fair elections as it held its circus called national elections even in the year 2008. Swaziland is a signatory to a plethora of international conventions on democratic elections. These are, inter alia, International Convention on Political and Civil Rights, the Mauritius Declaration, the Cotonou Agreement and the Harare Declaration of 1991, where Common Wealth countries agreed that totalitarianism was giving way to democracy and freedom. We call upon respectful signatories to the above stated conventions to put pressure on tinkhundla to democratize as we enter 2009.The Common Wealth expert team encapsulated all when they openly stated their disregard of the credibility of the 2008 Swaziland National Elections. This was their position even in the year 2003 as they reported, “We do not regard the credibility of these national elections as an issue. No elections can be credible when they are for a parliament that does not have power and when political parties remain banned.”
PUDEMO maintains its long standing position that the zillions of problems engulfing Swaziland shall only be solved when a genuine dialogue has been called and a legitimate government is in place. We therefore demand a Constitutional Multiparty Democracy Now.
Essentially, the political and civic organizations of our beloved nation are united and this was evidenced by their coming together into the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF). The people’s vanguard party hails the labour movement for celebrating 2008’s May Day together for the first time after so many years. As we do that, we reiterate our old principle of ‘One industry one Union , one country one federation’. This barbaric and backward system of Tinkhundla shall only be dismantled by a more united progressive force. The 2008 September 3-4 Mass Stay away was a clear indication that our unity can overcome the brutal power of this cruel dictatorship. We need to redouble our effort in 2009 as we march forward to a democratic Swaziland . PUDEMO urges all the forces under the banner of the united front to seize this opportunity since to relax our effort now will be a great mistake which generations to come will fail to forgive. Let us consolidate and advance.
On the international front, our struggle has intensified and our international allies have practically offered solidarity with the Swazi struggle as led by our glorious movement. We are particularly indebted to our South African allies in the tripartite alliance. They are to us what sunlight is to plants and we say only history shall reward them. We urge the international community to intensify its campaign against the Tinkhundla inhuman regime in the year 2009. We have got no hesitation in saying that the people of Swaziland have got no future under the current political set up.
The People’s United Democratic Movement has one demand as we enter then year 2009: Talks about talks that will culminate into a genuine dialogue exercise involving all national stakeholders to discuss a way forward on the politics of our country.
It is our genuine view as PUDEMO that only such an exercise can lead to a people’s constitution and democratic government. The only historic route that can be taken by the ruling class this year is dialogue and not war.
We have seen how the latter has failed in other African countries as it only results in bloodshed and unnecessary loss of lives. Our most treasured nation can not afford to take this dangerous route hence the need for dialogue as soon as possible. This is the very position that we took as early as 1992 in our document entitled, “THE PEOPLE’S WAY FORWARD DOCUMENT; TOWARDS A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY THROUGH A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT.” We want to emphasize that we see genuine dialogue as the only possible remedy for our ailing nation.
OUTSIDE SWAZILAND
We are in solidarity with the suffering people of Zimbabwe and we call upon the SADC and AU to take a decisive action and protect the people of that land from the quagmire they are currently in. Our movement further appeals to the international bodies, in particular the UN to intervene and save the people of Palestine . Nothing can justify the raping of young innocent children and women as well as the mass killing of peaceful civilians.
BY CDE SPHASHA DLAMINI
PUDEMO wishes to extend revolutionary and the warmest greetings to the fellow people of Swaziland and the peace and democracy loving citizens of the world. As we enter the year 2009, we are saying let us endure the pain and suffering together and travel this last mile to a new and democratic Swaziland . We call upon all of our structures within and outside the country to stand up to the task ahead and fulfil the revolutionary strategic objective of PUDEMO.
As we make a cross-over to the New Year, we are ware that tinkhundla has continued to force its misrule, characterised by oppression and exploitation, to the people of our country. We are aware of the fact that tens of thousands of half-naked and desperate children are on the streets and have deliberately been rejected by tinkhundla regime. The people’s movement is also aware of the reality that there are no drugs in hospitals owing to the dilapidating health care system that has been produced by this regime – our people are dying! We are as well cognizant of the incontrovertible fact that there are hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken citizens who are without such basics as food and clean water, particularly in the remote area. We are further aware of the continuous exploitation of workers and the treating of Swazis as subjects and not citizens in their own land. Also, we do not forget that a majority of Swazis do not own land and that many are still victims of the regime’s senseless land evictions. The only message we can pass to our suffering people is that the Tinkhundla Empire is crumbling and that before you know it, the system will have been destroyed and replaced with a people driven system.
The year 2008 has not been smooth for our mass-based democratic movement. What with the brutal and barbaric assassination of our deputy president Dr. Gabriel Thandokuhle Mkhumane who was shot dead at KaNyamazane in the republic of South Africa where he was living as an exile. As PUDEMO, we still maintain that the senseless killing of this gallant servant of the Swazi people was political and that the truth shall be revealed in future.
There are many cadres who have died in our movement and whose blood shall water the tree of liberation. We pledge ourselves to lift up the spear and continue the noble fight. A majority of our comrades have continuously been threatened and terrorised by state police while some have been forced into exile. Be that as it may, all these have strengthened our glorious movement and have given it more power to soldier on. In fact, today we are stronger than yesterday.
Sadly, we had entered the year 2008 with many police brutality instances and we say one day the people of Swaziland shall be defended. The police declared war as they assaulted UNISWA students who were demanding their right to quality education. Textile workers were also assaulted by state police as they were engaged in a legal strike action. In both the students and the textile workers’ struggles, the police used live bullets to shoot peaceful citizens of the land! We repeat that one day the people shall be defended and we do not intent to threaten anyone when we say that.
The police also attacked members of the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), including its leaders, during a border blockade activity that was meant at raising the international awareness on the Swazi struggle for democracy. A group of peaceful PUDEMO members, including its leaders, were severely beaten and detained by tinkhundla police during a PUDEMO day rally in Manzini in July. Swayoco and PUDEMO members, including the people’s president, were subjected to the same treatment during a march that was organised by our youth league recently. The march had been allowed by the city council of Mbabane and the police but was stopped by the police on the actual day. It was intended to demand from the prime minister the resumption of the treason trial with which many of our members were charged and are out on bail. The continuous assault on political activists by police confirms what PUDEMO has been saying over the years; that the security forces are for the ruling elite and not the ordinary people of Swaziland and that they are used to harass the advocates of democracy in our country. However, more than the hatred of the pain to which we are subjected to on daily basis is our hatred of the conditions to which our people are subjected to throughout this country. We want to liberate all our people and we shall achieve this by all means necessary.
PUDEMO is not taken by surprise on the sudden banning of the people’s vanguard for the second time. Also, we are equally not surprised by the new suppression of terrorism Act and the incarceration of the people’s president Cde Mario Masuku. Such things are bound to happen in a country that is a dictatorship. We take comfort from history since such have happened to almost all liberation movements the world over. On the incarceration of our leader, we want to warn the regime by overemphasizing what we have just said; that we shall do all that is in our power to defend our
leaders, organization and the people of our country against everything that threatens the Swaziland Democratic Revolution (SDR). Only time will tell.
The regime also defied warning from progressives and the international community and went on to host the luxurious 40/40 double celebrations and thereby squandering millions of the tax payers’ money. Again here, this confirmed what PUDEMO has been saying over the years; that we are waging a struggle against an autocratic regime that has got a high appetite for leisure. The ordinary Swazi never benefited anything from those so called celebrations.
Of fundamental note is that the regime continues to ignore international conventions on democratic, free and fair elections as it held its circus called national elections even in the year 2008. Swaziland is a signatory to a plethora of international conventions on democratic elections. These are, inter alia, International Convention on Political and Civil Rights, the Mauritius Declaration, the Cotonou Agreement and the Harare Declaration of 1991, where Common Wealth countries agreed that totalitarianism was giving way to democracy and freedom. We call upon respectful signatories to the above stated conventions to put pressure on tinkhundla to democratize as we enter 2009.The Common Wealth expert team encapsulated all when they openly stated their disregard of the credibility of the 2008 Swaziland National Elections. This was their position even in the year 2003 as they reported, “We do not regard the credibility of these national elections as an issue. No elections can be credible when they are for a parliament that does not have power and when political parties remain banned.”
PUDEMO maintains its long standing position that the zillions of problems engulfing Swaziland shall only be solved when a genuine dialogue has been called and a legitimate government is in place. We therefore demand a Constitutional Multiparty Democracy Now.
Essentially, the political and civic organizations of our beloved nation are united and this was evidenced by their coming together into the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF). The people’s vanguard party hails the labour movement for celebrating 2008’s May Day together for the first time after so many years. As we do that, we reiterate our old principle of ‘One industry one Union , one country one federation’. This barbaric and backward system of Tinkhundla shall only be dismantled by a more united progressive force. The 2008 September 3-4 Mass Stay away was a clear indication that our unity can overcome the brutal power of this cruel dictatorship. We need to redouble our effort in 2009 as we march forward to a democratic Swaziland . PUDEMO urges all the forces under the banner of the united front to seize this opportunity since to relax our effort now will be a great mistake which generations to come will fail to forgive. Let us consolidate and advance.
On the international front, our struggle has intensified and our international allies have practically offered solidarity with the Swazi struggle as led by our glorious movement. We are particularly indebted to our South African allies in the tripartite alliance. They are to us what sunlight is to plants and we say only history shall reward them. We urge the international community to intensify its campaign against the Tinkhundla inhuman regime in the year 2009. We have got no hesitation in saying that the people of Swaziland have got no future under the current political set up.
The People’s United Democratic Movement has one demand as we enter then year 2009: Talks about talks that will culminate into a genuine dialogue exercise involving all national stakeholders to discuss a way forward on the politics of our country.
It is our genuine view as PUDEMO that only such an exercise can lead to a people’s constitution and democratic government. The only historic route that can be taken by the ruling class this year is dialogue and not war.
We have seen how the latter has failed in other African countries as it only results in bloodshed and unnecessary loss of lives. Our most treasured nation can not afford to take this dangerous route hence the need for dialogue as soon as possible. This is the very position that we took as early as 1992 in our document entitled, “THE PEOPLE’S WAY FORWARD DOCUMENT; TOWARDS A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY THROUGH A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT.” We want to emphasize that we see genuine dialogue as the only possible remedy for our ailing nation.
OUTSIDE SWAZILAND
We are in solidarity with the suffering people of Zimbabwe and we call upon the SADC and AU to take a decisive action and protect the people of that land from the quagmire they are currently in. Our movement further appeals to the international bodies, in particular the UN to intervene and save the people of Palestine . Nothing can justify the raping of young innocent children and women as well as the mass killing of peaceful civilians.
BY CDE SPHASHA DLAMINI
Monday, November 24, 2008
Strangling the King's opponents: Swaziland's "war on terrorism"
Statement from PUDEMO Regional Office
(Australia, Asia and the South East Pacific Region)
Date: November 24, 2008
Strangling the King's opponents: Swaziland's "war on terrorism"
When King Mswati III addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2008, the emphasis of his speech was on the threat of terrorism. His speech was a carbon copy of what is now an outdated political discourse that dominated global politics in the turn of the 21st century. Out of touch with the shift in global politics, he sounded hollow when he called upon the world to unite and fight terrorism. World unity was achieved in 2001 but discourses about the threat of terrorism have receded from the centre stage of global politics. The recent 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly and the presidential election in the United States of America are examples of this shift in global politics. Whilst world leaders focused their attention on the global financial crisis and climate change, King Mswati III looked like a yesterday man. Nobody paid attention to him and he returned home a disillusioned, embarrassed and a frustrated man.
Rejected as a yesterday man and a hopeless actor in the global political theatre, King Mswati III returned to home ground to vent his anger and frustration on Swazi citizens. Shortly after the United Nations General Assembly, he summoned the nation to his royal residence for what local and international media widely described as a historical event in which the ruling monarch declared war on Swazi and South African citizens. He accused Swazis and South Africans of engaging in acts of terrorism against Swaziland. The rage in his tone and use of sadistic words such as abakhanywe (strangle them) generated a deep sense of fear and anxiety in many people. It caused significant concern that a new wave of political repression will soon follow.
From the speech, it was clear that strangling the King's political opponents was to become the mainstay of government policy. For the King, there is no one more capable of turning this desire into practical action than his most trusted henchman, Sibusiso Dlamini, a member of the King's advisory body. In disregard of his own laws enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005, King Mswati III appointed Dlamini the new Prime Minister in charge of government business and the police force. The Constitution states that the Prime Minister must be appointed from members of the House of Assembly. Sibusiso Dlamini was not a member of the House at the time of his appointment. His appointment was, therefore, unconstitutional. Dlamini's immediate responsibility was that of forming a war cabinet to strangle what the King described "enemies of peace".
There were no doubts in many people's minds that members of the pro-democracy movement in Swaziland and the South Africa-based Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) are the obvious targets of this rage and war mongering. In the past few weeks SSN, PUDEMO and its youth wing, the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) have featured predominantly in media reports and official statements about recent sabotage attempts against public road infrastructure. However, no concrete evidence has yet been produced to link these organisations to these activities. Furthermore, the police have not been able to confidently declare that these are indeed acts of terrorism carried out by identifiable organisations for political, social, religious or economic reasons. Thus talks about the presence of a terrorist threat are empty rhetoric and speculation with no substance. Such talks are, at best, acts of political indulgence.
If the government fuels speculation about the threat of terrorism, it streams into public fear. This is good news for King Mswati III and his government. It makes governing relatively easy because a fearful population is more susceptible to social control than a fearless population. The ultimate goal of this government is to reclaim the power to rule absolutely by retransforming the nation into docile bodies paralysed by fear. One of PUDEMO's great achievements has been the empowerment of the Swazi population to be less fearful of state power and to openly demand political change. As the population of fearless citizens grew bigger, the state's power-base has been gradually diminished. Swazis have long known that there is rottenness in the state of Swaziland but gradually people have been more able to proclaim this loudly rather than in fearful whispers. As a consequence, the regime is scrambling to regain control, a scenario reminiscent of the late King Sobhuza II's response to the resurgence of pro-democracy politics in the early 1970s.
In all aspects, King Mswati III's declaration of war resonates with King Sobhuza II's Proclamation to the Nation in 1973 in which he proscribed opposition political parties. Although supporters of the regime would like us to believe that the enactment of the 2005 Constitution eclipsed the Proclamation, it is indubitable that the principles which underpin this Proclamation remain a major influence in government thinking. All the key aspects of the Proclamation – political fear, hatred and intolerance of political dissent, constitutional vandalism and dictatorship – are evident in the current political development.
The proclamation placed dictatorship at the centre of governance. Today, dictatorship remains the cornerstone of the monarchy-led government. Under this system, those capable of furthering this most abhorrent form of political repression are appointed to public office. Thus, the choice of Sibusiso Dlamini is not surprising, given King Mswati III's emphasis on a form of governance based on strangulation rather than peaceful political engagement. In his capacity as Prime Minister from the late 1990s to early 2000s, Dlamini acquired a shocking reputation as a heartless and ruthless political operator. From 2001 to 2003, he was famous for senseless spending on royal luxuries, interference in the administration of justice, media censorship and engaging in political witch-hunts against state critics. He also presided over spectacular examples of government incompetence, such as the disastrous failure to reign in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Sibusiso Dlamini has the ability of a typical ruthless dictator to act swiftly against state opponents and sluggishly on issues of national development.
In 2002, PUDEMO warned that the Sibusiso-led government resembled a steamroller driven by a drunk and that it was capable of causing harm to the nation. At the time, PUDEMO was responding to the government's decision to close down two print media organisations, The Nation and the Swazi Observer, because it didn't like what they published. Despite local and international condemnation against the closure of these media organisations, the steamroller was allowed to continue on its way, causing widespread havoc. It brought Swaziland into the realms of failed statehood by crushing flat one of the most vital institutions of government, the judiciary. On November 28, 2002 Dlamini shocked the nation and international community when he publicly declared that his Majesty's Government would disobey the Court of Appeal judgements in Gwebu and Bhembe v. Rex and Minister of Home Affairs et al. v. Fakudze et al. According to Dlamini, the rulings sought to strip His Majesty King Mswati III of powers accorded to Swazi Kings since "time immemorial". No judge, Mr Dlamini declared, could question the King's decision or challenge his power. An avalanche of local and international condemnation was brought to bear on the regime. King Mswati III recapitulated and removed Dlamini from office. Many Swazis were hopeful that the drunk would be institutionalised in a detoxication centre for good. But alas, that was not to be. The drunk is back behind the wheel of the steamroller looking more intoxicated than he was in his previous term of office. He is back to kill and pillage national resources with impunity.
King Mswati III and his chosen henchman, Sibusiso Dlamini, are hoping to use the yesteryear strategy, "war on terrorism", to wage a proxy war against the pro-democracy movement. In 2008, The Suppression of Terrorism Act was enacted as a vehicle to waging this war. The Act gives authorities such as the Prime Minister unlimited powers to proscribe political organisations and wage a vicious witch-hunt against their membership. Immediately after his appointment as Prime Minister, Dlamini proscribed a number of political organisations including PUDEMO as "terrorist entities".
Globally, the effectiveness of this strategy to retain unpopular government in office has long receded. In the turn of the 21st century, citizens of various nation states were cajoled into believing that terrorist attacks were imminent and that the state was acting in their interests when it suspended basic rights and freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism. Threats of terrorism, as described by state officials and the media, began to infuse a deep sense of fear, anxiety and insecurity among citizens and fellow travellers. Through advanced technology, acts of "terrorism" were brought into people's living rooms. In most cases, images of terrorism were accompanied by harsh official statements to hunt down "terrorists", "sympathisers", "acquaintances" and "supporters" of terrorism.
As nation states became increasingly relentless in their pursuit of "terrorists", they acquired greater presence in people's private lives. Consequently, a state of paralysis emerged among populations of various nation states gripped with fear of "terrorism" and fear of the state. People were fearful of the ever looming terrorist attack and that their political views could be construed by the state as rendering support to terrorism. In the "war on terrorism", over zealous states transformed into terrorist entities causing fear, insecurity and enormous harm to the people they claimed to protect. In many instances, nation states with reputable records of democratic rule used the "war on terrorism" to shred away civil liberties. Kidnapping, arrest, rendition, eavesdropping, persecution and detention without trial were common tools of the "war on terrorism". Indeed, the turn of the 21st century was an era of great fear and strong statehood.
Whilst in some countries, particularly democratic nations, the "war on terrorism" introduced political conditions unfamiliar to many people, the majority of Swazis were born into conditions of fear and repression. These conditions, unbearable as they are, have enabled many in Swaziland, particularly those in the pro-democracy movement, to build a strong culture of resilience. PUDEMO leader, Mario Masuku, is a living example of this culture of resilience. Since the formation of PUDEMO more than 20 years ago, he has been in the forefront of the struggle for democracy and has endured the brutality of King Mswati III and his predecessors. He was the first to be arrested under the new terrorism laws. On November 15, 2008, Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini ordered the police to arrest Masuku on charges of terrorism. Masuku is accused of providing support to "terrorism" following his response to reports about attempts to bomb bridges.
In our view, the charges preferred against Masuku are part of the government's long-term strategy to persecute PUDEMO members. Masuku did not render support to terrorism as alleged by the police. What he said was what all responsible Swazis would have said. He called upon the government to reflect on why these bombing incidents were occurring. In his view, these incidents were an indication that some people in the community have reached the end of their tether and the time had come for the government to reconsider its position on the question of democracy. He implored the government to open talks with the pro-democracy movement to chart a way to a future political dispensation. This is not a statement of support for terrorism but a genuine and forward-looking gesture of goodwill from a man who has committed his life to build a democratic system of governance in Swaziland. A week after Masuku's arrest, the Catholic Church Bishop, Ncamiso Ndlovu expressed similar sentiments and condemned the terrorism laws, the proscription of pro-democracy organisations and the incarceration of Masuku (see All.Africa.com, November 21, 2008 report). It remains to be seen if the government will now arrest Bishop Ndlovu and charge him with supporting terrorism.
Masuku has endured frequent arrests and detention because of his political views. However, the determination of the regime to break his spirit has failed to yield results. Instead, it has strengthened his resolve to soldier on and fight for his people. It is against this background that when Sibusiso Dlamini proscribed the pro-democracy movement, Masuku was resolute that we will fight on and we will exercise our rights as members of the global community to disobey unjust laws.
The regime may arrest, incarcerate and strangle our members to death but they will never kill our spirit and our movement. PUDEMO has deep roots in the community as a people's political party. It is not a terrorist organisation. PUDEMO has not killed or threatened to kill anyone, caused or attempted to cause fear among the Swazi population and it has not, in its history, threatened to use force to overthrow the government. PUDEMO is, however, committed to the overthrow of the dictatorship monarchy regime through peaceful political processes. This is the core principle of our movement.
Various PUDEMO leaders have repeatedly stated that the movement will not be drawn into a military confrontation on terms defined by the regime. It is well known that the government has, on numerous occasions, engaged in activities akin to spoiling for a war. We refused to be party to this and we will continue to do so. It is, therefore, ludicrous to declare PUDEMO a terrorist organisation. Similarly, it is preposterous to arrest and charge PUDEMO leader, Mario Masuku, with acts of terrorism. Masuku has never handled a firearm or explosives, threatened anyone with violence, contemplated to wage a war or supported acts of terrorism.
PUDEMO calls upon the people of Swaziland to stay strong and not allow the government to push them back to the 1970s and 1980s. People should disobey the terrorism laws and continue to publicly declare their support and membership to the movement for democracy without fear.
The declaration of the "war on terrorism" must be seen as none other than a stunt designed to rejuvenate the culture of political fear in Swaziland. It is important that people understand that this war is part of the government's long-standing agenda to liquidate the pro-democracy movement and to use fear as a political resource. It is not about fighting terrorism because there are no terrorists to fight in Swaziland - just pro-democracy activists demanding a democratic system of governance and respect for basic rights and freedoms.
In a remarkable admission, the Prime Minister told diplomats that there are no terrorists in Swaziland yet but maintains that there are terrorist organisations (see Times of Swaziland, November 22, 2008). This statement does not make sense. It is like saying there are no soldiers in Swaziland but there is an army. If the Prime Minster believes that there are no terrorists in Swaziland, he must reverse the government's decision and release the PUDEMO leader from prison. The Prime Minister and his government need to revise their understanding of terrorism, particularly the fundamental question of what makes a person a terrorist. Does a person becomes a terrorist merely because of his/her membership of an organisation that has been officially classified a terrorist entity? Or can an individual become a terrorist, independent of his/her association with an organisation, if he/she engages in the activities outlined in the Suppression of Terrorism Act? The people of Swaziland demand answers to these questions.
Signed
Dr. Jabulane Matsebula
PUDEMO Representative
Australia, Asia and the South Pacific Region
Contact: j.matsebula@ecu.edu.au
(Australia, Asia and the South East Pacific Region)
Date: November 24, 2008
Strangling the King's opponents: Swaziland's "war on terrorism"
When King Mswati III addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2008, the emphasis of his speech was on the threat of terrorism. His speech was a carbon copy of what is now an outdated political discourse that dominated global politics in the turn of the 21st century. Out of touch with the shift in global politics, he sounded hollow when he called upon the world to unite and fight terrorism. World unity was achieved in 2001 but discourses about the threat of terrorism have receded from the centre stage of global politics. The recent 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly and the presidential election in the United States of America are examples of this shift in global politics. Whilst world leaders focused their attention on the global financial crisis and climate change, King Mswati III looked like a yesterday man. Nobody paid attention to him and he returned home a disillusioned, embarrassed and a frustrated man.
Rejected as a yesterday man and a hopeless actor in the global political theatre, King Mswati III returned to home ground to vent his anger and frustration on Swazi citizens. Shortly after the United Nations General Assembly, he summoned the nation to his royal residence for what local and international media widely described as a historical event in which the ruling monarch declared war on Swazi and South African citizens. He accused Swazis and South Africans of engaging in acts of terrorism against Swaziland. The rage in his tone and use of sadistic words such as abakhanywe (strangle them) generated a deep sense of fear and anxiety in many people. It caused significant concern that a new wave of political repression will soon follow.
From the speech, it was clear that strangling the King's political opponents was to become the mainstay of government policy. For the King, there is no one more capable of turning this desire into practical action than his most trusted henchman, Sibusiso Dlamini, a member of the King's advisory body. In disregard of his own laws enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland Act, 2005, King Mswati III appointed Dlamini the new Prime Minister in charge of government business and the police force. The Constitution states that the Prime Minister must be appointed from members of the House of Assembly. Sibusiso Dlamini was not a member of the House at the time of his appointment. His appointment was, therefore, unconstitutional. Dlamini's immediate responsibility was that of forming a war cabinet to strangle what the King described "enemies of peace".
There were no doubts in many people's minds that members of the pro-democracy movement in Swaziland and the South Africa-based Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) are the obvious targets of this rage and war mongering. In the past few weeks SSN, PUDEMO and its youth wing, the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) have featured predominantly in media reports and official statements about recent sabotage attempts against public road infrastructure. However, no concrete evidence has yet been produced to link these organisations to these activities. Furthermore, the police have not been able to confidently declare that these are indeed acts of terrorism carried out by identifiable organisations for political, social, religious or economic reasons. Thus talks about the presence of a terrorist threat are empty rhetoric and speculation with no substance. Such talks are, at best, acts of political indulgence.
If the government fuels speculation about the threat of terrorism, it streams into public fear. This is good news for King Mswati III and his government. It makes governing relatively easy because a fearful population is more susceptible to social control than a fearless population. The ultimate goal of this government is to reclaim the power to rule absolutely by retransforming the nation into docile bodies paralysed by fear. One of PUDEMO's great achievements has been the empowerment of the Swazi population to be less fearful of state power and to openly demand political change. As the population of fearless citizens grew bigger, the state's power-base has been gradually diminished. Swazis have long known that there is rottenness in the state of Swaziland but gradually people have been more able to proclaim this loudly rather than in fearful whispers. As a consequence, the regime is scrambling to regain control, a scenario reminiscent of the late King Sobhuza II's response to the resurgence of pro-democracy politics in the early 1970s.
In all aspects, King Mswati III's declaration of war resonates with King Sobhuza II's Proclamation to the Nation in 1973 in which he proscribed opposition political parties. Although supporters of the regime would like us to believe that the enactment of the 2005 Constitution eclipsed the Proclamation, it is indubitable that the principles which underpin this Proclamation remain a major influence in government thinking. All the key aspects of the Proclamation – political fear, hatred and intolerance of political dissent, constitutional vandalism and dictatorship – are evident in the current political development.
The proclamation placed dictatorship at the centre of governance. Today, dictatorship remains the cornerstone of the monarchy-led government. Under this system, those capable of furthering this most abhorrent form of political repression are appointed to public office. Thus, the choice of Sibusiso Dlamini is not surprising, given King Mswati III's emphasis on a form of governance based on strangulation rather than peaceful political engagement. In his capacity as Prime Minister from the late 1990s to early 2000s, Dlamini acquired a shocking reputation as a heartless and ruthless political operator. From 2001 to 2003, he was famous for senseless spending on royal luxuries, interference in the administration of justice, media censorship and engaging in political witch-hunts against state critics. He also presided over spectacular examples of government incompetence, such as the disastrous failure to reign in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Sibusiso Dlamini has the ability of a typical ruthless dictator to act swiftly against state opponents and sluggishly on issues of national development.
In 2002, PUDEMO warned that the Sibusiso-led government resembled a steamroller driven by a drunk and that it was capable of causing harm to the nation. At the time, PUDEMO was responding to the government's decision to close down two print media organisations, The Nation and the Swazi Observer, because it didn't like what they published. Despite local and international condemnation against the closure of these media organisations, the steamroller was allowed to continue on its way, causing widespread havoc. It brought Swaziland into the realms of failed statehood by crushing flat one of the most vital institutions of government, the judiciary. On November 28, 2002 Dlamini shocked the nation and international community when he publicly declared that his Majesty's Government would disobey the Court of Appeal judgements in Gwebu and Bhembe v. Rex and Minister of Home Affairs et al. v. Fakudze et al. According to Dlamini, the rulings sought to strip His Majesty King Mswati III of powers accorded to Swazi Kings since "time immemorial". No judge, Mr Dlamini declared, could question the King's decision or challenge his power. An avalanche of local and international condemnation was brought to bear on the regime. King Mswati III recapitulated and removed Dlamini from office. Many Swazis were hopeful that the drunk would be institutionalised in a detoxication centre for good. But alas, that was not to be. The drunk is back behind the wheel of the steamroller looking more intoxicated than he was in his previous term of office. He is back to kill and pillage national resources with impunity.
King Mswati III and his chosen henchman, Sibusiso Dlamini, are hoping to use the yesteryear strategy, "war on terrorism", to wage a proxy war against the pro-democracy movement. In 2008, The Suppression of Terrorism Act was enacted as a vehicle to waging this war. The Act gives authorities such as the Prime Minister unlimited powers to proscribe political organisations and wage a vicious witch-hunt against their membership. Immediately after his appointment as Prime Minister, Dlamini proscribed a number of political organisations including PUDEMO as "terrorist entities".
Globally, the effectiveness of this strategy to retain unpopular government in office has long receded. In the turn of the 21st century, citizens of various nation states were cajoled into believing that terrorist attacks were imminent and that the state was acting in their interests when it suspended basic rights and freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism. Threats of terrorism, as described by state officials and the media, began to infuse a deep sense of fear, anxiety and insecurity among citizens and fellow travellers. Through advanced technology, acts of "terrorism" were brought into people's living rooms. In most cases, images of terrorism were accompanied by harsh official statements to hunt down "terrorists", "sympathisers", "acquaintances" and "supporters" of terrorism.
As nation states became increasingly relentless in their pursuit of "terrorists", they acquired greater presence in people's private lives. Consequently, a state of paralysis emerged among populations of various nation states gripped with fear of "terrorism" and fear of the state. People were fearful of the ever looming terrorist attack and that their political views could be construed by the state as rendering support to terrorism. In the "war on terrorism", over zealous states transformed into terrorist entities causing fear, insecurity and enormous harm to the people they claimed to protect. In many instances, nation states with reputable records of democratic rule used the "war on terrorism" to shred away civil liberties. Kidnapping, arrest, rendition, eavesdropping, persecution and detention without trial were common tools of the "war on terrorism". Indeed, the turn of the 21st century was an era of great fear and strong statehood.
Whilst in some countries, particularly democratic nations, the "war on terrorism" introduced political conditions unfamiliar to many people, the majority of Swazis were born into conditions of fear and repression. These conditions, unbearable as they are, have enabled many in Swaziland, particularly those in the pro-democracy movement, to build a strong culture of resilience. PUDEMO leader, Mario Masuku, is a living example of this culture of resilience. Since the formation of PUDEMO more than 20 years ago, he has been in the forefront of the struggle for democracy and has endured the brutality of King Mswati III and his predecessors. He was the first to be arrested under the new terrorism laws. On November 15, 2008, Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini ordered the police to arrest Masuku on charges of terrorism. Masuku is accused of providing support to "terrorism" following his response to reports about attempts to bomb bridges.
In our view, the charges preferred against Masuku are part of the government's long-term strategy to persecute PUDEMO members. Masuku did not render support to terrorism as alleged by the police. What he said was what all responsible Swazis would have said. He called upon the government to reflect on why these bombing incidents were occurring. In his view, these incidents were an indication that some people in the community have reached the end of their tether and the time had come for the government to reconsider its position on the question of democracy. He implored the government to open talks with the pro-democracy movement to chart a way to a future political dispensation. This is not a statement of support for terrorism but a genuine and forward-looking gesture of goodwill from a man who has committed his life to build a democratic system of governance in Swaziland. A week after Masuku's arrest, the Catholic Church Bishop, Ncamiso Ndlovu expressed similar sentiments and condemned the terrorism laws, the proscription of pro-democracy organisations and the incarceration of Masuku (see All.Africa.com, November 21, 2008 report). It remains to be seen if the government will now arrest Bishop Ndlovu and charge him with supporting terrorism.
Masuku has endured frequent arrests and detention because of his political views. However, the determination of the regime to break his spirit has failed to yield results. Instead, it has strengthened his resolve to soldier on and fight for his people. It is against this background that when Sibusiso Dlamini proscribed the pro-democracy movement, Masuku was resolute that we will fight on and we will exercise our rights as members of the global community to disobey unjust laws.
The regime may arrest, incarcerate and strangle our members to death but they will never kill our spirit and our movement. PUDEMO has deep roots in the community as a people's political party. It is not a terrorist organisation. PUDEMO has not killed or threatened to kill anyone, caused or attempted to cause fear among the Swazi population and it has not, in its history, threatened to use force to overthrow the government. PUDEMO is, however, committed to the overthrow of the dictatorship monarchy regime through peaceful political processes. This is the core principle of our movement.
Various PUDEMO leaders have repeatedly stated that the movement will not be drawn into a military confrontation on terms defined by the regime. It is well known that the government has, on numerous occasions, engaged in activities akin to spoiling for a war. We refused to be party to this and we will continue to do so. It is, therefore, ludicrous to declare PUDEMO a terrorist organisation. Similarly, it is preposterous to arrest and charge PUDEMO leader, Mario Masuku, with acts of terrorism. Masuku has never handled a firearm or explosives, threatened anyone with violence, contemplated to wage a war or supported acts of terrorism.
PUDEMO calls upon the people of Swaziland to stay strong and not allow the government to push them back to the 1970s and 1980s. People should disobey the terrorism laws and continue to publicly declare their support and membership to the movement for democracy without fear.
The declaration of the "war on terrorism" must be seen as none other than a stunt designed to rejuvenate the culture of political fear in Swaziland. It is important that people understand that this war is part of the government's long-standing agenda to liquidate the pro-democracy movement and to use fear as a political resource. It is not about fighting terrorism because there are no terrorists to fight in Swaziland - just pro-democracy activists demanding a democratic system of governance and respect for basic rights and freedoms.
In a remarkable admission, the Prime Minister told diplomats that there are no terrorists in Swaziland yet but maintains that there are terrorist organisations (see Times of Swaziland, November 22, 2008). This statement does not make sense. It is like saying there are no soldiers in Swaziland but there is an army. If the Prime Minster believes that there are no terrorists in Swaziland, he must reverse the government's decision and release the PUDEMO leader from prison. The Prime Minister and his government need to revise their understanding of terrorism, particularly the fundamental question of what makes a person a terrorist. Does a person becomes a terrorist merely because of his/her membership of an organisation that has been officially classified a terrorist entity? Or can an individual become a terrorist, independent of his/her association with an organisation, if he/she engages in the activities outlined in the Suppression of Terrorism Act? The people of Swaziland demand answers to these questions.
Signed
Dr. Jabulane Matsebula
PUDEMO Representative
Australia, Asia and the South Pacific Region
Contact: j.matsebula@ecu.edu.au
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