Swaziland Commentary

SWAZI KING IN TOP 5 WORST IN AFRICA

2012-02-14T15:53:00.001+02:00

Earlier this week the Swazi media were crowing because King Mswati III had been chosen among the top 100 'hottest' (ie sexiest) leaders in the world.

I’d bet they won’t be telling their readers that King Mswati has also made it to the top five worst leaders in Africa in this poll for Forbes.

These are the reasons why he’s down there with the worst of them:

Sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch presides over a country which has one of the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates: ver 35 percent of adults. Its average life expectancy is the lowest in the world at 33 years; nearly 70 percent of the country’s citizens live on less than $1 a day and 40 percent are unemployed. But for all the suffering of the Swazi people, King Mswati has barely shown concern or interest. He lives lavishly, using his kingdom’s treasury to fund his expensive tastes in German automobiles, first-class leisure trips around the world and women. But his gross mismanagement of his country’s finances is now having dire economic consequences. Swaziland is going through a severe fiscal crisis. The kingdom’s economy is collapsing and pensions have been stopped. In June last year, the King begged for a financial bailout from South Africa, and the country is at a dead end, so badly that it recently announced its withdrawal from the 2013 Africans Nations Cup, citing lack of finances as the principal reason.

PM FORTUNE IS CONFLICT OF INTEREST

2012-02-13T14:48:00.000+02:00

Swaziland’s Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini who was at the centre of controversy last year (2011) when it was revealed he bought Swazi nation land for himself at a price massively below its true value, has a personal fortune of E12 million (US$1.56 million) it has been revealed.

Among his assets are E392,000 worth of shares in Swazi Empowerment (Pty) Limited (SEL), a company that in turn has a 19 per cent shareholding with MTN Swaziland, the monopoly mobile phone operator in the kingdom.

Dlamini is the man in charge of the government-controlled parastatal, Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) and is therefore a key decision maker in the affairs of Swaziland’s national posts and telecommunication. But now we know that Dlamini also personally holds shares in SEL which in turn has a major shareholding in MTN, Swaziland and the only competitor for SPTC.

This raises questions about Dlamini’s impartiality when making decisions about SPTC.

In September 2011, when reporters first got wind of Dlamini’s possible share holdings in SEL, Musa Holphe, of the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Organisations, wrote, ‘Since SEL’s main, if not its only, investment is MTN Swaziland it is important to understand that the value of the SEL shares will be slashed if anything happens that affects MTN’s profitability.

‘This government has been at the centre of many decisions that affect the ability of SPTC to properly compete with MTN.

‘Each government decision seems designed to hamper SPTC and enable MTN to continue its monopoly and unfairly increase the wealth of its shareholders which as we now know includes the private wealth of the prime minister.

‘It is shocking to see how much money is generated by MTN and that, in spite of the grinding poverty of the majority of us; vast riches are still secretly flowing into the pockets of the elite.’

MTN was also in the news last year when US Ambassador to Swaziland Earl Irvine accused King Mswati of interfering in the sale of shares of MTN – so he could buy them himself at a cheaper rate.

Irvine wrote in a confidential cable leaked to Wikileaks that the King also caused the ousting of Tebogo Mogapi, the MTN chief executive officer in Swaziland because he opposed the Swaziland Government’s ‘efforts to use the MTN network for surveillance on political dissidents’.

Dlamini was illegally appointed Prime Minister in 2008 by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Details of Dlamini’s fortune are contained in a statement of assets and liabilities that was submitted by the Prime Minister to the Swazi Integrity Commission last week, leaked to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.

It reports Dlamini’s assets include buildings, furniture, equipment, motor vehicles, livestock, cash at banks, insurance policies, shares in private companies, listed shares and unit trusts.

Meanwhile, seven in ten of Swaziland’s one million population live in abject poverty, earning less than US2 per day.

Dlamini’s wealth maybe huge compared to the average Swazi person, but it is as nothing compared to King Mswati. He was estimated by Forbes in 2009 to have a personal net fortune of US$200 million.

See also

DOES PM HAVE A FORTUNE FROM MTN?

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/does-pm-have-fortune-from-mtn.html

US DECRIES SWAZI KING ON MTN DEAL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/us-decries-swazi-king-on-mtn-deal.html

PM ORDERS MEDIA SILENCE ON LAND

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/06/pm-orders-media-silence-on-land.html

SWAZILAND SACKS 1,200 TEACHERS

2012-02-11T11:36:00.000+02:00

The Swazi Government has sacked 1,200 school teachers due to a financial crisis in the kingdom, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) said yesterday (10 February 2012)

AFP news agency reported that last year Swaziland employed 3,000 teachers on one-year renewable contracts, with the promise of permanent jobs eventually.

Now, 1,200 of the contracts have been dropped Muzi Mahlanga, secretary general of the Swaziland National Union of Teachers told AFP.

‘We met government and informed it of the appalling situation and gave them up to next week Wednesday to employ all the teachers currently left in the lurch,’ he said.

‘Otherwise we will engage in a mass action that will ground the operations of schools,’ he said.

SNAT has been at the forefront of protests against King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, who keeps up a jet-set lifestyle while seven in ten of his subjects live in abject poverty, earning less than US$2 per day.

The Swazi Government also has not made its payments for children who receive free primary education, or to its support for school going AIDS orphans.

SECOND PRISONER RELEASED ON BAIL

2012-02-10T08:32:00.000+02:00

Stiffkitten

9 February 2012

SOURCE

Musa is also out!

“Musa Ngubeni finally left the Manzini Remand Centre at 10:20 a.m this morning [9. February 2012] and headed for his parental home at Mankhayane,” Dumezweni Dlamini of the Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice told the Free Maxwell Dlamini Campaign.

Musa Ngubeni, a law graduate from the University of Swaziland and former student leader, was detained, allegedly tortured, and charged with being in possession of explosives together with student leader Maxwell Dlamini during the April 12 Swazi Uprising last year – one of the largest protests ever against Swaziland’s absolute monarchy crushed by police and security forces.

”He is grateful to all those supported them whilst inside prison and the pressure exerted from Europe for their release. He said that there is no doubt that had it been not because of the campaign internationally for their release such an amount [€5000 bail money] wouldn’t have been collected. Musa further requested the democracy loving people of the world to continue fund raising for the case as they are still left with the legal fees for the attorney, which they are to pay.”

Musa Ngubeni assured everyone following his and Maxwell Dlamini’s case that the allegations against them were false. They had never seen nor laid their hands on the blasting materials and detonators that the police claimed to have found in their possession, he insisted. “They saw it for the first time when the police showed it to them and it was never inside any of their belongings or bags,” says Dumezweni Dlamini.

After having been released after having spent nearly ten months in prison, Musa Ngubeni and Maxwell Dlamini now have to adhere to inflexible bail conditions. Amongst other things Musa has to report four times a week to the Mbabane Regional Police Station, which is a 200 km round trip, even though he could easily have reported at the nearest police station in stead, which is within walking distance of his home.

See also

MAXWELL OUT ON BAIL, NOW FOR MUSA

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/02/maxwell-out-on-bail-now-for-musa.html

TEENAGE MUMS TO HELP THEMSELVES

2012-02-09T12:22:00.000+02:00

Stiffkitten

8 February 2012

SOURCE

Help us help ourselves, say Swaziland’s young single mothers

Women in Swaziland are heavily discriminated against, both by law and by custom. According to the former, women in effect have the status of minors and cannot get a bank loan without the consent of their husbands. According to the latter, women can be fined for wearing trousers by traditional authorities, nearly half of Swazi men believe it is okay to beat a woman, and two thirds of young women have experienced sexual violence of some sort.

But young single mothers are even worse off than the average women in Swaziland. Teenage mothers account for over a third of all pregnancies in Swaziland, but they receive little or no help from the government, their families or communities. On the contrary, when they are found to be pregnant they are often expelled from school and ostracised and stigmatised by their neighbours, communities and families.

Swaziland Single Mothers’ Organisation (SWASMO), the only organisation to work specifically with young single mothers, was formed in 2009 in an attempt to help and mobilise young single mothers in Swaziland.

The initial idea was to form self-help to promote self-reliance, mutual support, mobilisation and education to try and improve the position and consciousness of single mothers. But mobilising the young single mothers and raising funds has proven harder than anticipated.

“Most young single mothers have a fatalistic view of themselves and society and do not believe that life can be any different or better than it is presently,” says SWASMO’s founder and project coordinator, Beatrice Bitchong. “And even amongst other women, there is resentment towards the young single mothers.”

As for fundraising, Maternity Worldwide, a Danish organisation that works with health care, financial security and protection for women and children in Africa, had contacted SWASMO in 2011 to discuss plans for supporting a self-help project financially.

“But after an appraisal in November 2011 that saw representatives of the Danish organization visit SWASMO in Swaziland, several gaps were identified,” says Beatrice Bitchong. “We need to be clear on the target group, as it was found that the existing self help groups are made in majority of elder women who still have a strong stigma against young women. And we need to establish a well-defined organizational structure. Focusing on closing these gaps was found to be a prerequisite for effective self-help projects output by SWASMO.”

But Beatrice also has the solution to these challenges. “Having young single mothers as our main target group and working to establish a well defined organizational structure is what we will be focusing on in the future. I have surrounded myself with some committed young women and we are trying to build a structure that has a clear focus on young single mothers and transforming SWASMO into a membership organisation. We will be coming up with ideas for a strategic plan and project in the near future.”

As for funding, the organisation, that has until now mainly had to rely on money from its volunteer workers, is planning a few small fundraising events, ad is considering introducing membership fees.

But as Swaziland is a poor country where two thirds of the population survive on less than a dollar a day, and where the government has trouble even paying its civil servants, Beatrice Bitchong is aware that she must also look elsewhere for funding. “We are interested in other donors who can help us strengthen the organizational capacity of SWASMO and help Swaziland’s young single mothers. They need it more than most,” she says.

STUDENTS REPORT ON UNI CLOSURE

2012-02-08T10:34:00.000+02:00

University of Swaziland students report on the delayed opening this semester of their university. This video appeared on their Facebook ‘newspaper’ UNISWA Today.

EDITOR ‘QUESTIONED KING’S WISDOM’

2012-02-08T10:22:00.001+02:00

The editor of Swaziland’s only independent comment magazine is before the High Court because he published an article that ‘questioned the wisdom’ of King Mswati III.

This was revealed by the Swazi Attorney-General Majahenkhaba Dlamini on day two of the trial for contempt of court of Bheki Makhubu, editor of the Nation magazine.

Dlamini told the court yesterday (7 February 2012) that articles published in November 2009 and February 2010 impeached the wisdom of the King in his choices in appointing judges and the Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi.

‘The ordinary reader could not help but insinuate that there was an impeachment of the King’s wisdom in his appointment of the judge concerned,’ local media report Dlamini saying.

King Mswati is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and freedom of speech in his kingdom is generally curtailed. All news broadcast on radio and television is state-controlled and one of the two groups producing daily and weekend newspapers in the kingdom is in effect owned by the King.

Makhubu’s monthly magazine, the Nation, is the only source of journalism within Swaziland that consistently advocates for freedom in Swaziland and against the regime dominated by King Mswati.

In the High Court, Attorney-General Dlamini said Makhubu’s articles ridiculed the Chief Justice in his capacity as judge. He alleged that this amounted to personal abuse and was therefore a contempt of court.

‘There is freedom of expression [in Swaziland] but we’re saying there are limitations,’ Dlamini told the court.

Judgment was reserved for 29 February 2012.

See also

EDITOR CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGE

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/02/editor-contempt-of-court-charge.html

EDITOR CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGE

2012-02-07T12:27:00.000+02:00

The editor of Swaziland’s only independent comment magazine is in the Swazi High Court charged with scandalising the judiciary.

Bheki Makhubu is answering charges of contempt of court over two articles he published in the Nation magazine in November 2009 and February 2010.

In the articles Makhubu praised Judge Thomas Masuku for coming up with a dissenting Judgment from two Supreme Court judges in cases relating to evictions from land controlled by King Mswati III.

Masuku was subsequently sacked as a judge because it was deemed in his judgement he insulted King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Makhubu is also alleged to have insulted the Swazi Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi, the man who sacked Masuku.

Makhubu also called upon newly appointed judges to uphold the Constitution.

In the High Court yesterday (6 February 2012), Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini said the articles scandalised the courts.

Makhubu denied contempt of court. According to local media reports, he said the theme of the November 2009 article was the role of the Judiciary in enforcing and protecting the Constitution. He said it was inspired by the appointment of new judges of the High and Industrial Courts.

Makhubu criticised the Judiciary for having ‘stayed away’ from the constitutional process the country was going through. He also said members of the public would be looking up to the new judges to help them understand what it meant to live in a constitutional state.

Advocate Gilbert Marcus, on Makhubu’s behalf, said the article read in its entirety supported the principles of Constitutionalism and the rule of law. He also said it underscored the importance of the Judiciary in upholding the Constitution.

He further submitted that Makhubu’s article stressed the potential of the Constitution and the Judiciary to have a direct impact on the lives of the people.

Attorney-General Dlamini said the articles had, ‘sinister imputations and that is not good.’

He said that contempt ought to be punished so that courts could function without interference.

The case continues today (7 February 2012).

THE HYPOCRISY OF KING MSWATI III

2012-02-07T12:02:00.000+02:00

King Mswati III of Swaziland is being hypocritical when he expresses disappointment at individuals who continue to plunder state resources for personal benefit.

That’s because he is the biggest plunderer of state resources and he has bled his subjects dry for his own personal gain.

In his speech at the opening of parliament on Friday (3 February 2012) he said, ‘As we move forward in rebuilding this country amidst all these challenges, one must express serious disappointment at some individuals who continue to plunder state resources for personal benefit.

‘We have seen these individuals divert national funds intended for important projects for their own benefit.

‘We can no longer allow these people to place their personal interest above that of the country.’

But King Mswati is the man who more than any other puts his personal interest above those of the people of Swaziland.

King Mswati has never done a salaried day’s work in his life, yet, according to Forbes, he has a personal fortune estimated at US$200 million. He also personally controls a trust fund set up by his father King Sobhuza II that is estimated to be worth US$10 billion.

He also ‘holds in trust for the nation’ the profits of Tibiyo Taka Ngwane, an investment fund with extensive shares in a number of businesses, industries, property developments and tourism facilities in Swaziland. This money is supposed to be used for the benefit of the people but the vast majority is actually used for the King’s own personal use.

When Swaziland’s annual budget was passed last year (2011), King Mswati and his family took an increase of 23 percent over the previous year.

This was at the same time that most government departments had their budgets cut by 20 percent. It turned out that these cuts had to be even deeper as Swaziland tottered further toward bankruptcy over the past 12 months, but the King has made no sacrifice.

Much of the King’s wealth is kept secret from his subjects and the wider world, but it is obvious that he has been taking vast amounts of Swaziland’s wealth as his own.

Swaziland is a tiny kingdom, with a population of about 1 million people, seven in ten of whom live in abject poverty, earning less than US$2 per day. Even so, King Mswati believes he is entitled to bleed his subjects dry and spend the national wealth funding his own lavish lifestyle.

It is unbelievable to an outsider just how greedy the King is. He has had 13 palaces built (one for each of his wives); in the past few years he bought a fleet of 20 top-of-the range Mercedes cars and another fleet of BMW sedans.

He travels abroad in great luxury – and hires a private jet at the cost of US$3.5 million a year.

His wives go each year on worldwide shopping sprees, spending millions of dollars.

Each and every cent that goes to pay for these is plundered from the Swazi people.

In his speech to parliament, King Mswati III said, ‘It is time serious action was taken against such selfish people [the corrupt] and it should be action that truly serves as a very effective deterrent if this country is to make any progress economically from this day forth.’

How right he is: it is time serious action was taken against King Mswati to make sure he returns his loot to its rightful owners. And, action must be taken to ensure he never gets the chance to steal from the people again.

See also

CALLS TO PROBE KING’S WEALTH

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/calls-to-probe-swazi-kings-wealth.html

HOW WORLD SEES SWAZILAND QUEENS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-world-sees-swaziland-queens.html

KING GETS MORE, HIS SUBJECTS LESS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/03/king-gets-more-his-subjects-less.html

POLICE SHOOT WOMAN PROTESTER

2012-02-05T12:34:00.001+02:00

A woman protester was shot at close range by Swazi police as she was walking from them.

Local media report that it is not known if she was hit by live ammunition or a rubber bullet.

Rose Fakudze was part of a protest march in Siteki, Swaziland, called by vendors and transport operators over plans by the town hall to move the local bus rank.

Fakudze was shot from a distance of less than 2 metres which badly injured her hand. The shot finger bled profusely and she did not receive any first aid until she collapsed.

A court order had been obtained from the magistrate court to stop the march but this angered the vendors as the town board has agreed that it would go ahead.

The vendors and transport operators demanded to continue with the march, but riot police were called and they moved in.

The incident proved outrage among local residents who marched on the regional police headquarters demanding to know why police had shot a defenceless woman who was walking away from them.

Fakudze was rushed to the Good Shepherd Hospital while the residents waited outside the police station demanding that the police officer responsible for the shooting come out to face them, something that he did not do.

MAXWELL OUT ON BAIL, NOW FOR MUSA

2012-02-04T08:01:00.001+02:00

Stiffkitten blog

3 February 2012

SOURCE

Student leader Maxwell Dlamini out on bail

President of the Swaziland National Union of Students, Maxwell Dlamini, has been released on bail today [3. February]. The money for the 50,000 Rand bail (€5000) – the largest bail ever in Swazi legal history –was raised by Maxwell’s father, Nimrod Dlamini, and local and international solidarity movements.

Maxwell Dlamini was detained, allegedly tortured and forced to sign a confession, and charged of possession of explosives last April in connection with one of the largest protests against Swaziland’s absolute monarchy in many years, the so-called April 12 Uprising.

Two thirds of Swaziland’s population survive on less than a dollar a day and hundreds of thousands can only get by on food aid from the UN. Additionally, Swaziland cannot afford to pay its bills and the salaries of its civil servants due to widespread financial overspending and mismanagement by Swaziland’s absolute monarch, King Mswati III, and his government.

Swaziland’s democratic movement still urges potential donors to contribute to the bail of Maxwell Dlamini’s co-accused, Musa Ngubeni, as approximately 15,000 Rand (€1500) is needed to bail him out, as well as to reimburse Maxwell’s father.

“Half the battle has been won, its heart warming to get Maxwell out, now we must work on Ngubeni and the others,” said Wandile Dludlu from the Swaziland United Democratic Front.

See how here

Read more here

SWAZI PRINCE BLAMED FOR LOAN DELAY

2012-02-03T12:16:00.001+02:00

An ill-timed outburst by King Mswati III’s advisor and senior member of the royal household, Prince Mahlaba is what has delayed Swaziland’s bid to secure a E2.4 billion bailout from neighbouring South Africa, the Nation Magazine in Swaziland reports.

Prince Mahlaba infuriated by the conditions attached to the loan said its acceptance would be tantamount to selling the country to South Africa. He was particularly against the one condition that would have paved way for democracy and the unbanning of political parties.

Inside sources revealed to the magazine that signing of papers for South Africa to transfer the first tranche was put on hold pending further talks between King Mswati and President Jacob Zuma. The king was already in seclusion in preparation for the sacred incwala ceremony when the proposal for fresh talks was made.

The proposal for a fresh round of talks was made to new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mtiti Fakudze, on November 22 when he led a delegation to South Africa with the intention to finalise the loan deal by signing the papers.

The loan trail has blown hot and cold since August last year while the government dragged its feet in signing the deal. With the marked improvement of revenue from SACU which contributes over 60 percent to the national budget, the kingdom may altogether abandon the loan talks.

To read the full report in the Nation magazine, click here.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ON SWAZILAND

2012-02-02T12:22:00.000+02:00

The latest report on Swaziland, published by Human Rights Watch. It covers events in 2011.

SOURCE

The Kingdom of Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati III since 1986, is in the midst of a serious crisis of governance. Years of extravagant expenditure by the royal family, fiscal indiscipline, and government corruption have left the country on the brink of economic disaster.

Under Swazi law and custom, all powers are vested in the king. Although Swaziland has a prime minister who is supposed to exercise executive authority, in reality, King Mswati holds supreme executive powers and control over the judiciary and legislature. The king appoints 20 members of the 65-member house of assembly and approves all legislation that parliament passes. Political parties have been banned in the country since 1973.

Swaziland has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world at 26 percent, but has failed to secure sufficient treatment for its population, including anti-retroviral drugs. With 80 percent of the population subsisting on less than US$2 per day, a 40 percent unemployment rate, and thousands of civil servants facing wage cuts, Swazi authorities have faced increasing pressure from civil society activists and trade unionists to implement economic reforms and open up the space for civil and political activism. Dozens of students, trade unionists, and civil society activists have been arrested during protests against the government’s poor governance and human rights record.

Freedom of Association and Assembly

The government has intensified restrictions on freedom of association and assembly in the past few years. The Swazi constitution guarantees these rights, but the provisions protecting these rights have been undermined by clauses that permit restrictions by the state. Authorities have also restricted political participation and banned political parties.

Permission to hold political gatherings is often denied, and police routinely disperse and arrest peaceful demonstrators. On September 7, police beat and injured several students in Mbabane as they attempted to deliver a petition to the minister of labour and social security. Police detained two students, later releasing them without charge.

On September 5, local civil society groups, trade unionists, workers, and students embarked on a week of action calling for, among other things, multi-party democracy, the release of political prisoners, and a freeze on wage cuts for civil servants. The week of action was supported by various trade union groups around the world, including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), which sent representatives to Swaziland. The demonstrations turned violent. On September 7, police attempted to prevent the deputy president of COSATU, Zingiswa Losi, from addressing a rally and fired live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas at crowds, resulting in several injuries in the town of Siteki. Losi and the deputy head of COSATU’s international department, Zanele Matebula, were later deported.

On September 9, police attempted to prevent leaders from the political movement Peoples’ United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) from speaking at a rally in Manzini, beating PUDEMO and trade union leaders.

On April 12, authorities responded to civil society plans for a mass demonstration against poor economic and human rights conditions by arresting about 150 civil society and trade union leaders. Police and security forces detained and beat several activists and placed many others under house arrest.

Human Rights Defenders

Police harassment and surveillance of civil society organizations increased in 2011. Political activists were arrested, detained, and tried under security legislation. They have also faced common law charges such as treason.

Civil society activists and government critics have reported increased incidents of harassment, searches, and seizures of office materials, as well as monitoring of electronic communications, telephones calls, and meetings by the authorities. Police and other security officials routinely use excessive force against political activists. Local activists reported that police often use torture and other ill-treatment against activists with impunity. No independent complaints investigation body exists for victims of police abuses.

Freedom of Expression and Media

Journalists and the media face continued threats and attacks by the authorities. Self-censorship in media is widespread. Publishing criticism of the ruling party is banned. On July 12, police stormed the offices of the Times newspapers and served the editor with a court order to stop publishing any articles related to the chief justice. A high court later rescinded the order after finding no basis for it.

The government has passed draconian security legislation such as the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act, which severely curtails the enjoyment of freedom of expression, among other rights, and allows for extensive imprisonment without the option of a fine if one is found guilty. The act has been used to harass activists and conduct searches of their homes and offices.

Rule of Law

Serious deficiencies in Swaziland’s judicial system persist. In an ominous precedent for the independence of the judiciary, Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi in August suspended Justice Thomas Masuku for insubordination and for insulting the king, among other charges, in reaction to a January judgment by Justice Masuku in which he said King Mswati was speaking with a “forked tongue.” On August 11 Justice Masuku appeared before the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), whose six members are appointed by the king. On September 27 the king relieved Judge Masuku of his duties for “serious misbehavior.” Justice Masuku had in the past made several rulings in favor of human rights.

Control over the daily allocation of cases for hearings, including urgent ones, has been placed solely in the hands of the chief justice, creating what is perceived by lawyers as an unacceptable bias in the administration of justice. In August the Law Society of Swaziland instituted a boycott of the courts to protest these developments and the failure of the authorities to hear its complaints regarding the running of the courts, including the chief justice’s allocation of cases. On September 21, Law Society members delivered a petition to the minister of justice calling for action to address the decisions of the chief justice and the general administration of justice in the court system.

Victims of human rights abuses and those seeking to advance the protection of human rights through the courts have little or no access to effective legal remedies. In June the chief justice published a directive protecting the king from civil law suits in the high court or any other courts, a clear violation of a citizen's right to be protected by the law and to be heard before an independent judiciary.

Key International Actors

In August the International Monetary Fund expressed serious concerns about Swaziland’s deepening fiscal crisis and called on the government to implement significant fiscal reforms.

On August 3 South Africa agreed to a $355 million loan to help ease Swazi economic woes. However, in a move widely lauded by civil society groups in Swaziland and South Africa, the South African government insisted on political and economic reforms as conditions for the loan. The Swazi authorities declined the conditions, leading to delays in the loan’s disbursement.

SWAZI ECONOMY STILL OUT OF CONTROL

2012-02-02T09:43:00.000+02:00

Swaziland’s government has failed to make any headway in its attempt to steer the kingdom away from bankruptcy.

Despite a year of statements from the government, handpicked by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, that things are getting better, evidence released this week shows the opposite is the case.

The International Monetary Fund has been in Swaziland over the past few days to meet with top politicians and completed its mission yesterday (1 February 2012). In a statement the IMF revealed that the Swazi economy continued to be out of control.

The Swazi Government had announced before Christmas that it would be receiving a ‘windfall’ of about E7 billion from the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU). It led people to believe that this money would be available to pay public servant salaries for the coming months. Before Christmas the government struggled to meet the December wage bill.

But the IMF has told the government the best use of the SACU money is to pay off some of its debts – especially to the Swaziland central Bank.

The IMF also said the government should immediately cut the wages bill by at least E300 million (1 percent of GDP). An early retirement scheme would help to make this cuts, it said.

‘In order to repay domestic arrears and advances from the central bank, the 2012/13 budget should aim at an overall surplus of E 919 million (3.1 percent of GDP). In addition to adjusting the size of the budget, the quality of spending should be improved, with more resources allocated to education, the fight against HIV/AIDS, and social protection for orphaned and vulnerable children and the elderly’ the IMF said.

The IMF also said the government should aim for a budget surplus in 2012 – 2013 of E919 million (3.1 percent of GDP).

Meanwhile, the government is under pressure to spend. The University of Swaziland has not opened this semester, saying it hasn’t received money from the government to cover administration and salary costs. It is estimated it needs E22 million a month.

Students have been protesting this past week because they have not been paid their allowances and there are reports that schools may close as fees have not been paid by the government.

SWAZI STUDENTS TO ‘OCCUPY MINISTRY’

2012-01-31T11:20:00.001+02:00

Students in Swaziland are planning to march to and then occupy the gates at the office of the Minister of Labour and Social Security today (31 January 2012) in a protest over the closure of their university.

They intend to stay at the office of Lutfo Dlamini, the minister, indefinitely until the government pays the money to allow the university to open and also pays students their allowances.

The University of Swaziland (UNISWA) announced last week it could not open as planned for the second semester because the government had not given it money to operate. UNISWA says it needs E22 million (US$2.8 m) each month to pay administration costs and salaries.

The government cannot pay because it is nearly broke and is struggling to meet its bills, including salaries for public servants.

It also owes some university students their allowances for the semester that ended at Christmas. Students fear allowances will not be paid for this coming semester.

Yesterday, police fired teargas at students injuring several as they protested. Police arrested at least four demonstrators after students vowed to occupy the labour ministry and clashed with peers at William Pitcher College who refused to join their protest, the AFP news agency reported.

PERKS OF SWAZI POLITICIANS EXPOSED

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000+02:00

Trade unions are gearing up to advance their fight against the Swaziland regime and the greed of the politicians who voted themselves payoffs and perks worth millions of US dollars.

Protestors want the Finance Circular No 1 2010 that authorised the payments scrapped.

Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, is broke and the government is struggling to pay its bills, including wages of public servants. Seven in 10 of the 1 million population live in abject poverty, earning less than US$2 per day.

It is extremely difficult to get current figures on the pay scales of Swaziland’s politicians, but in April 2011 the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, reported salaries as follows:

The PM’s basic salary is E635 296 per year and his allowances amount to E275 648.

The deputy prime minister is paid a E581 772 per year and his allowances stand at E254 524 per year.

Cabinet ministers are paid a basic salary of E508 237 per year while their allowances stand at E562 534 per year.

To refresh memories, here is a digest of what the politicians voted for themselves in Circular No 1.

Constituency allowance:
The prime minister and his deputy despite not having a known constituency, are paid 12.5% of their basic salary as constituency allowance. Others who are paid at the same rate are ministers, presiding officers, MPs, Senators, Regional Administrators (RAs).

Entertainment allowance:
Prime minister, his deputy, ministers, RAs’, presiding officers, MPs including Senators and Tindvuna TetiNkhundla are paid entertainment allowance at a scale of 7.5% of their basic pay.

Housing benefit:
Prime minister, his deputy, minister, presiding officers and RAs are entitled to a housing loan of up to E1.5 million at a maximum of 8% interest for up to 10 years to be arranged by government. MPs and the rest are entitled to a E650 000 loan at a maximum of 8% interest payable over five years.

Tax reimbursement:
The intention of this allowance is to assist cabinet members with the payment of tax on their benefits. These allowances are paid to compensate for legitimate expenditure in the nature of their duties. The prime minister and his team get a 10% reimbursement of basic pay annually. No other politician enjoys this benefit other than themselves.

Utilities:
The circular gives the prime minister and his deputy the privilege of having their water, electricity and municipal rates paid for by government for official residence and one private home ministers and RAs only enjoy water, electricity and municipal rates paid for by government. Presiding officers and deputy presiding officers only get an allowance of 5% of their basic pay in turn.

Vehicles:
The prime minister and deputy prime minister are provided with official vehicles. They are also to receive an annual capital allowance of E120 000 to enable them purchase equivalent vehicles for their private use. The capital allowance shall be equal to that of cabinet ministers.

On leaving office or dissolution, whichever comes first, they will get a cash payment equivalent to the value of their benchmark vehicles less the capital allowance over the period. Further the PM is entitled to a requisition of government truck up to 12 times a year for the transportation of bulk goods within Swaziland. Meanwhile ministers are paid E120 000 annually as capital allowance and a further E74 063 as maintenance allowance.

Funeral assistance:

PM is covered for E80 000 whilst given E30 000 as assistance allowance in case of his spouse’s demise
DPM funeral costs are covered for E70 00 and would get E20 000 assistance for spouse
Minister is covered for E60 000 and E12 000 funeral assistance for spouse
Presiding officers are covered for E40 000 and no mention for spouse
Deputy minister, RA, deputy presiding officer are covered for E30 000
MPs are covered for E20 000.

Benefits for ex-PM and their spouses:
Ex-PM who is not under formal employment gets E10 000 monthly
Ex-PM spouse whose husbands died gets E5 000 monthly
Ex-PM would get E80 000 funeral assistance and their spouses covered at E30 000.

As well as these allowances that are already in force, There are plans to offer payoffs worth E60 million (US$7.55 million) when the present parliament ends next year (2013).

Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister, will personally get E1.6 million; his deputy, Themba Masuku, who already claims to be a millionaire, is expected to receive E1.4 million. Each cabinet minister will receive E1.2 million, while Senate President, Gelane Zwane and Speaker, Prince Guduza stand to pocket E1.1 million each. The four regional administrators will also take home E1.1 million each. The deputy senate president and speaker will each get E495 000. Each of Swaziland’s MPs will get E435 000.

See also

STRIKE AGAINST SWAZI FAT CATS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/01/strike-against-swazi-fat-cats.html

MAXWELL AND HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

2012-01-26T10:22:00.002+02:00

Stiffkitten blog

25 January 2012

SOURCE

Maxwell Dlamini nominated for Irish human rights award

President of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS), Maxwell Dlamini, has been nominated for the 2012 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. The award is presented by Front Line, an Irish-based human rights organisation founded by former director of the Irish Section of Amnesty International, Mary Lawlor, and is given to “human rights defenders who, through non-violent work, are courageously making an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, often at great personal risk to themselves.”

Maxwell Dlamini was detained, tortured and forced to sign a confession by members of Swaziland’s police and security forces during the so-called April 12 Swazi Uprising, a peaceful protest inspired by the Arab Spring that was brutally clamped down upon by Swazi police and security forces. He is currently on trial for allegedly having been in possession of explosives and remanded and the infamous Manzini Remand Centre. Several representatives of Swaziland’s democratic movement have called the allegations against Maxwell Dlamini absurd, and an international campaign has demanded his unconditional release.

Maxwell is a threat to the undemocratic Swazi regime precisely because “he is a strong and a brave young leader who stands up and defends human rights,” says Dumezweni Dlamini from the Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice, a partner organisation of Maxwell’s SNUS. “This is why he has been put behind bars.”

“But there cannot be a better recipient [of the award] than this rare gem of a new generation of activists for the liberation of Swaziland,” says Wandile Dludlu from the Swaziland United Democratic Front. “Maxwell has been at the service of the youth in an oppressive dangerous political environment and has led the students in several campaigns of peaceful protests against unjust government policy. We are proud to be associated with SNUS, who has been producing leaders of a special pedigree like Maxwell. They have made an indelible mark in the history of our struggle for democracy, human rights and good governance.”

The Front Line Defenders Award is presented annually. The winner and his or her organisation is awarded with a cash prize of €15,000. Last years award, presented by former Irish Prime Minister Mary Robinson, was given to the Joint Mobile Group of the Russian Federation “for their outstanding work investigating torture, killings and disappearances in Chechnya.”

STRIKE AGAINST SWAZI FAT CATS

2012-01-25T11:30:00.000+02:00

Trade unions in Swaziland are ready for a series of rolling strikes to force the government of the cash-strapped kingdom to stop paying cash bonuses worth millions of dollars to the Prime Minister, ministers, senators, MPs and senior civil servants.

The total sum of the payoffs is in the region of E60 million (US$7.55 million). They will get the money next year (2013) when the present parliament comes to an end.

These payouts are contained in an order known as Financial Circular No 1 2010. Also contained in the circular are a raft of perks that the parliamentarians are already receiving each month, including housing, entertainment and travel allowances.

In Swaziland seven in ten people live in abject poverty earning less than US$2 a day. The kingdom has run out of cash and has struggled in recent months to pay salaries of public servants. It has left many of its regular bills unpaid and has failed to get the support of the International Monetary Fund to get loans from the international financial community.

All the major trade unions in Swaziland, including the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) and the Swaziland Federation of Labour (SFL), have told the Prime Minister they want Circular No 1 scrapped.

In a letter to the PM they say they will embark on a series of protest actions to force the government’s hand.

The trade unions also want democratic changes in the kingdom ruled by King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, including the unbanning of political parties and the release of political prisoners. They also want proposed cuts in public service jobs to be halted.

Anger is growing in Swaziland against the government, handpicked by King Mswati. In 2011 there were a series of strikes and protests, which were put down by police and troops loyal to King Mswati.

See also

SWAZI MPS REFUSE TO CUT THEIR PAY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/03/swazi-mps-refuse-to-cut-their-pay.html

SWAZILAND KING’S WORD IS LAW

2012-01-24T11:02:00.000+02:00

If you still refuse to believe that King Mswati III is an absolute monarch, read on.

Parliamentarians in Swaziland are in a fix because it is not clearly understood what it is that King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, has instructed them to do.

The problem is this: for more than a year the Swazi Government has been trying to implement what it calls a Fiscal Adjustment Roadmap (FAR). It came up with the FAR when it became clear that the kingdom had run out of money and was on the way to going broke. It wanted to get a loan from the African Development Bank, but before it could get this it needed the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF said the government had to cut public expenditure and raise more money in taxes. The FAR was the government’s blueprint to do this.

So far so good, the government thought. But it drove straight into a problem when it decided that to cut public expenditure it would demand pay cuts from public servants and retrenchments (maybe as many as 7,000 jobs would go) or a combination of both.

The government set its stall on a cut of 10 pecent in public service pay, which the unions rejected outright. This led to stalemate.

Discussions continued between the Swaziland government, headed by Barnabas Dlamini (who was personally appointed by the King) and the IMF, on the best way forward. Talks also took place with the unions, but no agreement could be reached.

Then King Mswati stepped in. He is reported to have declared in a speech that the government should not unilaterally implement the 10 percent pay cut. In Swaziland King Mswati’s word is law, so the government wants to abide by it. The trouble is that although the unions say the King made the statement, the government says he didn’t.

Now, the whole emphasise of the debate on public spending cuts has changed. No longer is there negotiation between government and unions about the best way forward. The only question on the table is what did King Mswati actually say? When that is decided the matter is at an end.

So forget the year-long discussions with the IMF; forget the government’s FAR; forget the loan that might be forthcoming from the African Development Bank. All that matters is what King Mswati said (or didn’t say).

Nobody should be the least surprised by this. The Swaziland parliament has no real powers. The King appoints the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The King appoints 20 of the 30 members of the Swazi Senate – members of the House of Assembly appoint the other 10. Of the 65 members of the House of Assembly itself, 55 members are elected by the people (but political parties are banned) and the remaining 10 are appointed by the King.

SACKED EDITOR ATTACKS SWAZI KING

2012-01-22T08:11:00.002+02:00

Musa Ndlangamandla, who last week was sacked as editor-in-chief of King Mswati’s Swazi Observer newspaper group, has said he would ‘rather eat grass’ than work for the King again.

Ndlangamandla was giving his version of the events running up to his sacking.

He said over the past year he had been in a battle with Swazi Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini which he lost. And that cost him his job.

Ndlangamandla was also a speechwriter and praise singer for King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, until he was fired last year (2011).

Ndlangamandla had been editor of the Observer for 12 years and was a staunch supporter of King Mswati and was in effect the King’s propagandist. He wrote in the Observer that the ‘collective stand’ of the newspaper was ‘that the integrity of Swaziland as a democratic State and His Majesty King Mswati III as the legitimate leader of the Swazi nation, must never be compromised in any way.’

During Ndlangamandla’s time in control many stories about King Mswati were censored.

These included the calculation from Forbes that King Mswati has a personal wealth of about US$200 million; that in 2011 the King received a huge increase in his budget while all public spending elsewhere in the kingdom was slashed to the bone; and a sex scandal involving the King’s 12th wife and a cabinet minister. All these reports appeared in media outside of Swaziland.

The Observer also failed to report criticisms the King was receiving in the international arena for his attack on freedoms in Swaziland and his lavish personal spending; while as many as 60 percent of his subjects had to rely on international food aid to avoid starvation during the past five years.

Now he has been sacked, Ndlangamandla is saying that Barnabas Dlamini, the man the King personally appointed Prime Minister, was the key mover in his dismissal.

He wrote on Facebook (19 January 2012) that the Prime Minister turned against him after the Observer reported allegations that he had bought nation land for himself at a fraction of its true price. ‘We pushed the land theft scandal by Barnabas and cabinet colleagues whilst I was still a speech writer for the king and whilst I was still travelling with the king and not after.

‘That’s when Barnabas hatched the lie that I was mastermind behind April 12 uprising. This was after he and some in cabinet had had several meetings asking the king to fire me as speech writer and traveller on his trips and as Chief Editor at Observer.’

Ndlangamandla said he also gave space in the newspaper to a number of pro-democracy advocates, including Mario Masuku, Mandla Hlatshwayo, Lucky Lukhele, Bongani Masuku, Sibongile Mazibuko, Vincent Ncongwane and Jan Sithole.

He wrote ‘I knew that this would get me in trouble with the King, the PM and other powerfuls. But we had to do it because that was the right thing to do.’

Ndlangamandla concluded, ‘I will never work for this regime again even if I may be asked to. I’d rather eat grass.’

Ndlangamandla has received praise and criticism in equal measure since his sacking. Writers on social media pointed out that he was in effect the King’s placeman and is not a genuine supporter of democracy in Swaziland.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network, a very vocal opponent of King Mswati, however, in a statement praised Ndlangamandla. It said, ‘Ndlangamandla openly declared his misgivings with the government and the system of governance. He went as far as attempting to liberalise the newspaper, inviting progressive groups to contribute to his “Asikhulumisane (let us talk)” column.’

See also

KING’S PAPER SACKS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/01/kings-paper-sacks-editor-in-chief.html

SACKED EDITOR IS NO HERO

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/01/sacked-swazi-editor-is-no-hero.html

SWAZI EDITOR REPLIES

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/01/swazi-editor-replies.html

NO PARTIES AT SWAZILAND ELECTION

2012-01-20T09:09:00.000+02:00

King Mswati III of Swaziland is to fly in the face of international opposition and continue his ban on political parties at the national elections next year (2013).

Political parties have been banned since 1973 when Mswati’s father, King Sobhuza II, tore up the Swazi constitution and ruled by decree.

Today, King Mswati is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

This week, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Swaziland Government, handpicked by King Mswati, confirmed that there would be no changes to the way the national elections would be run. This means parties are banned and only candidates standing as individuals can compete for election.

This flies in the face of international opinion. At the last election in 2008, the European Union refused to send a delegation to monitor the fairness of the election. It said at the time that it was clear that Swaziland was not a democracy

The Pan-African Parliament, which did monitor the election, reported, ‘The non-participation of political parties makes these elections extraordinary from any others but we hope with time things will change.’

In 2003, the Commonwealth Expert Team (CET) which observed that year’s election, concluded, ‘We do not regard the credibility of these National elections as an issue: no elections can be credible when they are for a Parliament which does not have power and when political parties are banned’.

After the 2008 election the CET repeated its view that Swazi elections were not credible and called for Swaziland’s constitution to be rewritten to unban political parties and ‘ensure that Swaziland’s commitment to political pluralism is unequivocal’.

Since the 2008 election there have been many mass protests in Swaziland calling for the unbanning of political parties and other reforms.

These calls have been supported by international organisations. Among them is the International Commission of Jurists which says people in Swaziland have a fundamental right to form political parties.

At present the Swaziland Parliament has few powers. Of the 65 members of the House of Assembly, 10 are chosen by King Mswati and 55 are elected as individuals by the people. In the senate King Mswati chooses 20 of the 30 places. The other 10 are chosen by members of the House of Assembly. None are elected by the people.

See also

EU SNUBS SWAZILAND ELECTION

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2008/07/eu-snubs-swaziland-election.html

IS SWAZILAND’S ELECTION CREDIBLE?

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2008/06/is-swazilands-election-credible.html

MULTIPARTIES WILL SAVE SWAZILAND

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2008/11/multi-parties-will-save-swaziland.html

LIES AT SWAZI EXPLOSIVES TRIAL

2012-01-19T12:24:00.000+02:00

Peter Kenworthy

Stiffkitten blog

18 January 2012

SOURCE

Swazi student leader’s trial begins with prosecution witness lies

The trial of Swazi student leader and political prisoner, Maxwell Dlamini, finally started last week after having been postponed and delayed since last April, where Maxwell Dlamini was apprehended by police and allegedly tortured and forced to sign a confession to being in possession of explosives.

At the trial, Maxwell Dlamini and his co-accused, Musa Ngubeni, pleaded not guilty to the charges of contravening Swaziland’s Explosives Act 4 of 1961. Several representatives of Swaziland’s democratic movement have referred to the charges as ludicrous and the long delay of the trial as a deliberate act by Swaziland’s absolute monarchy to discourage any opposition to its undemocratic and brutal rule.

According to Wandile Dludlu of the Swaziland United Democratic Front, an umbrella movement of democratic forces in Swaziland, over 60 activists attended the court session in a show of support for Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni.

“But the state is playing dirty delaying tactics because they don’t have credible witnesses,” said Dludlu, “The only state witness, superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane [who arrested Maxwell and Musa in April 2011], has already told blatant lies during a gruelling cross examination on the first day.”

According to the Times of Swaziland, Sihlongyane had claimed that Dlamini and Ngubeni led them to the explosives hidden in a forest voluntarily and that “bomb experts confirmed that the red, black and grey cables which were hidden in a white shoe box were indeed explosives.”

“Sihlongyane later complained to court of not being well,” Wandile Dludlu said. “But on the second day of the trial, after the magistrate granted him relief to go to hospital, he came outside court to joke with his colleagues when Maxwell’s mother confronted him about the morality of his behaviour. He ran amok with all sorts of insults right in front of everybody.”

The case is set to continue on the15th and 16th of February, the further delay being due to the alleged illness of superintendent Sihlongonyane.

SWAZI EDITOR REPLIES

2012-01-19T11:20:00.000+02:00

Musa Ndlangamandla, who was sacked this week from his job as editor-in-chief of the Swazi Observer newspaper group (the paper in effect owned by King Mswati III) has responded to my blogpost of yesterday (18 January 2012).

Here is what he wrote:

Prof. Rooney I need not justify my actions or stance to you or anyone for that matter and I am not seeking sympathy nor am I claiming to be a hero. I am independent and do not belong to any group. Some of what you want Sean to show [this is a refernce to comments left on a Facebook site] you can easily be found in my banned columns 'Asikhulume' or ' This Ink Stings' or 'The Pen That Stings' which are archived in the swaziobserver website and can be googled. However, I don't see what any of us stands to benefit from this ' yo-yo' exchange. I have many disagreements with how you portrayed me in your blog but I am not about to justify my actions. One thing though, I know what I stand I took even before I was fired first from speech writing, then a year later from being Chief Editor. Even before I started giving space to the voice of Mario Masuku, Mandla Hlatshwayo, Lucky Lukhele, Bongani Masuku, Sibongile Mazibuko, Vincent Ncongwane, Jan Sithole and others.....I knew that this would get me in trouble with the king, the PM and other powerfuls. But we had to do it because that was the right thing to do. We pushed the land theft Scandal by Barnabas and cabinet colleagues whilst I was still a speech writer for the king and whilst I was still travelling with the king and not after. Thats when barnabas hatched the lie that I was mastermind behind April 12 uprising. This was after he and some in cabinet had had several meetings asking the king to fire me as speech writer and traveler on his trips and as Chief Editor at Observer. Im sorry for such a long post but I thought I should share a glimpse of what happened leading to this. No I am not a hero and yes I will never work for this regime again even if I may be asked to. Id rather eat grass.

SWAZI POLICE INTIMIDATION REBUFFED

2012-01-19T10:31:00.000+02:00

Trade unionists in Swaziland stood their ground and refused to allow police to break up their legitimate meeting.

Police wanted the gathering in Lubombo stopped because they had not been informed of the agenda.

The meeting organised by the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) was to discuss the Swazi Government’s plan to introduce value added tax (VAT) into the kingdom.

A report from Swaziland says that more than 10 police officers arrived before the meeting started at a local school. The police forced their way into the room after organisers refused their demand to call off the meeting.

According to a report in the Times of Swaziland there was shoving and pushing between the police and the trade unionists, but the police backed down after the organisers refused to be intimidated.

A police spokesperson told the newspaper that organisers should have been informed about the meeting.

This is not the first time that Swaziland police have intervened in legally-held meetings. In November 2011 they stopped a prayer meeting ‘for the problems that engulfed the country’ at the Lutheran church in Mbabane.

Also in 2011, armed police invaded the High Court to stop lawyers meeting to discuss their on-going campaign to get Michael Ramodibedi, the Swaziland Chief Justice removed from office.

Police stopped trade unionists and lawyers from delivering a petition to Minister of Labour and Social Security and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

Police brutally put down a meeting of civil society groups held at the Swaziland National Association of Teachers Centre to prepare for a mass protest in March.

See also

POLICE STOP PRAYERS FOR DEMOCRACY

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/police-stop-prayers-for-democracy.html

SACKED SWAZI EDITOR IS NO HERO

2012-01-18T12:05:00.001+02:00

We should not think that Musa Ndlangamandla, who has been sacked as editor-in-chief of King Mswati’s newspapers, was a supporter of democracy in Swaziland.

Since news of his sacking broke yesterday (18 January 2012), unconfirmed reports have stated that Ndlangamandla was sacked from the Swazi Observer (where he had been editor for 12 years) because he published interviews with ‘pro-democracy’ activists.

This had led some people to believe that he was a fearless journalist determined to use the Observer newspapers in the struggle for freedom in Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Ndlangamandla wasn’t a journalist; he was a propagandist for King Mswati – pure and simple.

And don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what Ndlangamandla wrote in the Observer on 1 March 2010.

‘But our collective stand as a newspaper is that the integrity of Swaziland as a democratic State and His Majesty King Mswati III as the legitimate leader of the Swazi nation, must never be compromised in any way.’

You couldn’t get clearer than that: Ndlangamandla is King Mswati’s mouthpiece.

And, Ndlangamandla had his fingers in others of King Mswati’s pies. He was a regular speechwriter for the King and travelled the world – at the Swazi taxpayers’ expense – with him to write acres of fawning articles in the Observer praising the King to the sky.

So what went wrong for Ndlangamandla? The answer is a little clouded, but one thing seems certain, he lost a struggle with Barnabas Dlamini to be King Mswati’s most obsequious toady. The Observer, along with the private press in Swaziland, published articles calling for Dlamini to resign and exposing his shady business deals. Ndlangamandla hoped this would put paid to Dlamini’s influence with the King.

But the King needed Dlamini more than he needed Ndlangamandla.

King Mswati appointed Dlamini Prime Minister in contravention of the Swazi Constitution in 2005. Dlamini was never elected to parliament, but nonetheless the King chose him to do his will in government.

And, from the King’s point of view Dlamini did this rather well – using state terror against all opposition, however minor.

Dlamini has played a major role in keeping Mswati in the luxury he has been accustomed to, including giving the King and his Royal Family large increases in their budgets last year (2011) while all government departments had theirs slashed.

Ndlangamandla couldn’t offer the King anything like that. All he could give were fine words – and there is no shortage of people in Swaziland prepared to give the King those, if they get favours in return.

So when Ndlangamandla thought he could take on Dlamini, he discovered how little value he was to the King – and he got the boot.

The lesson for Ndlangamandla and all the other hangers-on of the King: the King doesn’t give a damn about you. Once he has wrung you dry and he has no further need for you, he throws you on the scrapheap.

See also

KING’S PAPER SACKS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/01/kings-paper-sacks-editor-in-chief.html

SWAZI ‘OBSERVER’ IS PROPAGANDA

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2010/03/swazi-observer-is-propaganda.html

‘OBSERVER’ STILL PROPAGANDA RAG

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/observer-still-propaganda-rag.html

KING’S PAPER SACKS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

2012-01-18T11:09:00.000+02:00

Musa Ndlangamandla, the editor-in-chief of the Swazi Observer newspaper group, has been sacked.

An unconfirmed report states that he was fired from the newspapers, in effect owned by King Mswati III, because he had published interviews recently with members of the pro-democracy movement in Swaziland.

King Mswati is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and political parties are banned in the kingdom.

Ndlangamandla has not confirmed the reasons behind his sacking, but the AFP news agency reported yesterday (17 January 2012) that he ‘stirred controversy in his Asikhulume (Let’s Talk) column where he interviewed pro-democracy activists about the path that Swaziland should take.

‘But his biggest fall from grace was his newspaper's stories claiming that Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini, a hardline royalist, had appropriated state land illegally,’ AFP claims.

‘An official probe was set up by parliament, but before the investigation was finalised the king intervened and ordered all parties to drop the matter.

‘Ndlangamandla was subsequently sidelined from covering the king's foreign trips and snubbed at all royal functions,’ AFP reports.

Ndlangamandla has made no official comment about his sacking. It is believed that he has been waiting to receive a final pay-off from the newspaper before he talks openly about it.

He has however confirmed on his Facebook site that he is ready for new challenges.

In July 2011, Ndlangamandla wrote on Facebook that Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister, had accused him of being behind the April 12 Uprising plot to replace the King.

Ndlangamandla said Dlamini convinced King Mswati that he was a ‘security risk’.

Ndlangamandla said the King believed this to be true and Ndlangamandla was blacklisted and not allowed anywhere near the King.

Previously, Ndlangamandla had been a key member of the King’s team, accompanying the monarch on overseas’ trips and filling the Observer with acres of coverage favourable to him.

Ndlangamandla also wrote speeches for King Mswati and made it clear that the Observer believed the king was ‘the legitimate leader of the Swazi nation [and], must never be compromised in any way.’

See also

WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE KING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/we-have-to-talk-about-king.html

PM WANTED TO SHUT DOWN ‘OBSERVER’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/07/pm-wanted-to-shut-down-observer.html

IS PUDEMO CHIEF ABOUT TO QUIT?

2012-01-14T10:47:00.001+02:00

Mario Masuku, the President of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), is rumoured to be about to quit – in part because he is fed up with the criticisms he is getting from his comrades.

The Southern Africa Report (SAR) journal, which supports the call for democracy in Swaziland, this week (12 January 2012) reported, ‘Masuku’s pending departure, still under discussion and a closely guarded secret, is apparently due to a combination of failing health and criticism over his overcautious leadership amid mounting demands for a consistent opposition voice in Swaziland as Mswati's administration implodes.’

SAR goes on to report the friction between PUDEMO and the recently-formed Communist Party of Swaziland.

SAR says the progressive movement, ‘is at sixes and sevens over what to do about the left, particularly as a range of centrist formations, among them Swaziland’s churches, attempt to up their influence in the pro-democracy movement ahead of talks with the Mswati government.’

SAR goes on, ‘Anyone who regularly checks [Swaziland Solidarity Network’s] web forum will be familiar with the frequent storms of libellous acrimony, accusation and character assassination centred on these individuals and their supporters, often coming from other PUDEMO members.

‘One consequence of this is consistent lack of clarity and purpose by the movement and a palpable dearth of PUDEMO-led mass action inside Swaziland in galvanising opposition to the Mswati regime. Instead, most of the pro-democracy pressure Mswati faces tends to be sporadic and reactive, rather than dependably proactive, allowing the regime to prolong its hold on power.’

To read the full SAR report, click here.

SOLDIERS ‘SING TO OVERTHROW KING’

2012-01-13T09:47:00.001+02:00

Soldiers in Swaziland have held a ‘clandestine meeting’ to discuss their grievances over pay and conditions.

It is reported at the end of the meeting they sang songs calling for the overthrow of King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

The Southern Africa Report (SAR) journal this week (11 January 2012) reports the meeting took place over the Christmas – New Year period at Matsapha barracks.

SAR says soldiers, ‘held a clandestine meeting to air their mounting grievances over pay and conditions. Anger had been running high among soldiers over the creaming off by senior officers of funds from the Hlalawati army savings and cooperative society. The practice apparently directly benefits those members of the royal family among the military top brass.’

SAR adds, ‘The soldiers complained too about being forced to stump up R650 for uniforms out of their wages under a new tendering agreement overseen by Mswati. There are also food shortages at Matsapha barracks due to savings cuts imposed by the royal-owned enterprise that supplies food to the army. The rebellious soldiers ended their meeting with songs calling for Mswati’s overthrow.’

To read the full SAR report, click here.

CALL TO BOYCOTT COCA-COLA

2012-01-12T12:20:00.000+02:00

Africa Contact, the Denmark-based NGO, is calling for a boycott of Coca-Cola products because of its links with King Mswati III of Swaziland and the way it helps to prop up the King’s regime which denies Swazi people their basic democratic rights. The company also exploits Swazi sugar cane workers and has a large control over Swaziland’s economy.

Africa Contact asks people to write a protest letter to Coca-Cola Denmark's Public Affairs & Communications Director in Denmark, Michael Bonde Nielsen (who is, also Public Affairs Director at the independent liberal, free market think tank, CEPOS). Click here for an online letter (in Danish) that you can add your name to.

Below is an article Africa Contact published yesterday (11 January 2011) in Danish. It has been ‘translated’ to English using Google (it’s far from perfect English, but you will get the point).

An English article from Africa Contact's website that more or less makes the same points as the Danish article, can be found here.

Coca-Cola controls Swaziland, boycott the company says Africa Contact

"Boycott Coca-Cola and tell them why! - It's the only way to stop the company's real support for dictatorships and the exploitation of poor workers," says the Danish solidarity organization Africa Contact.

Coca-Cola is one of the world's best known brands and biggest companies. More than one billion cans or bottles of Coca-Cola drink a day for everything from downtown New York to small villages in Africa. That the company while exploiting countries and populations in developing countries desperate situation to further enrich themselves are less known.

With over 70,000 employees Coca-Cola is one of the largest employers in Africa, a continent where many poor people spend money on unhealthy Cola instead of subsistence.

Coca-Cola's headquarters in Africa lies in the small absolute monarchy, Swaziland. Here the company manufactures its cola extract the entire production in Africa, parts of Asia and New Zealand and Australia.

Swaziland is a country where the king has the final say in all decisions where the country's nascent democracy movement brutally suppressed, where over two thirds of the population survives on less than a dollar a day, many on food aid from the UN, and where life expectancy is under 40 years because of an AIDS epidemic that is out of control.

Simultaneously live country's royal family and King Mswati III and a small elite in the wild luxury, while the country is heading towards an economic collapse, where one has not even afford to pay public service salaries and pensions for the elderly.

The collaboration between Coca-Cola and the regime in Swaziland is especially for the multinational company's advantage. Coca-Cola contributes to approximately 40% of Swaziland Gross domestic product, giving the company a great influence to the country's regime - if not toe the regime, one can simply threaten to move elsewhere. In addition, you get access to its good infrastructure, cheap labor, favorable tax conditions, and sugarcane.

Swaziland's population, and especially sugar cane workers (according to Human Rights Watch doing the most dangerous farm work of all) who harvest the sugar cane along with water is the main ingredient in Coca-Cola, have not identified many benefits of working with Coca-Cola. King creaming off while the workers who harvest the sugarcane worker in miserable and almost feudal relationship with a very small salary.

In the villages in Vuvulane, Swaziland "sugar belt" working majority as casuals for a few hundred dollars a month - not even enough to secure food, medicine and schooling for workers' families. It also handles the subcontractors, such as Coca-Cola uses, almost works as serfs.

"Sugar Companies confiscate our kitchen gardens and close to our water supply in order to punish us," said cane workers in Vuvulane region Africa Contact. "Moreover, they ensure that we get caught and arrested when we fish in the local lake. They must use the water itself. "

The democracy movement in Swaziland has therefore appealed to the Coca-Cola to break off relations with King Mswati III's regime, without success.

Africa Contact calls for you, in solidarity with the people of Swaziland, is helping to put pressure on Coca-Cola in our part of the world by boycotting Coca-Cola, as well as any contacts Coca-Cola's Danish department communications director, Michael Bonde Nielsen (mbondenielsen@coca-cola.com), to tell the company about the basis of your decision.

DOES HIV LOOK LIKE ME? SWAZILAND

2012-01-12T11:20:00.001+02:00

One of a series of videos called Does HIV Look Like Me? featuring people from Swaziland sharing their experiences. Recently uploaded to YouTube.

VERY CRUDE SWAZILAND OIL DEAL

2012-01-12T10:43:00.000+02:00

King Mswati III of Swaziland has done a deal with the President of Equatorial Guinea to import crude oil into his kingdom.

The oil will be refined into consumer products such as petrol, kerosene, asphalt and chemical reagents.

But, Swaziland has no oil refineries and no history of any heavy industrial development. So, the crude oil will be transported from Swaziland to South Africa where it will be refined and the processed products will be sent back to Swaziland.

The Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent newspaper, today (12 January 2012) reports that the King has been entertaining the President of Equatorial Guinea Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Swaziland this week. He has been trying to impress upon the President that his kingdom is a place worth investing in.

Thembinkosi Mamba, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, told the newspaper the Swazi Government had plans to build its own refinery so that, in future, the crude oil would be brought directly to Swaziland for refinement and separation, thereby, cutting down on costs.

According to the Times the oil deal is ‘separate from all the other bilateral agreements which will be signed this afternoon’.

Although the Times doesn’t say this, it looks like this deal is something special the King has dreamt up. In the past, as with the notorious US$5 billion power plant deal that turned out to be a con-trick, the King has bypassed his parliament and made deals on his own imitative.

Clearly, Swaziland has no need to import the crude oil and doesn’t have the capacity – nor can it develop the capacity in the foreseeable future – to process the oil once it receives it. Considering the dire state of the economy, Mamba’s claim that Swaziland will be able to build its own refinery is a fantasy.

The deal is pointless - why doesn’t Equatorial Guinea just send the crude oil to South Africa for refinement, bypassing Swaziland altogether?

The deal is also too costly. Mamba told the Times, ‘There are costs involved in the acquisition of the oil, like the cost of transporting it to South Africa where it will be refined, and the charges that we will have to pay for refining it in that country.’

Looks like King Mswati is about to enter a bad deal that will cost his subjects a great deal of money, rather than save them some.

So what’s going on? Obiang’s regime has been labelled one of the world’s most corrupt by international rights groups. Transparency International has ranked Equatorial Guinea 168th out of 178 countries for its efforts in tackling corruption.

Only last month (December 2011), the UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell told his parliament that oil wealth was being stolen from Equatorial Guinea ‘for the corrupt and personal use of an unaccountable and self-serving elite’.

The US Justice Department said in October 2011 it was looking to seize assets worth more than US$70 million from Obiang’s son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, including a US$30 million home in Malibu.

In September 2011 the president’s son visited Swaziland. While he stayed at the five-star Royal Villas Resort (where the president has been staying this week) he had his bag stolen – containing US$2.5 million in bank notes. We still don’t know why he came to Swaziland with so much cash in his case, but it is hard to believe it was for legitimate reasons.

Now, three months later his father is in town and a needless oil deal is signed with the King.

See also

$5bn SWAZI POWER PLANT WAS A CON

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/5bn-swazi-power-plant-was-con.html

COCA-COLA ‘SUPPORTS SWAZI DICTATOR’

2012-01-03T16:15:00.000+02:00

A report about the relationship between Coca-Cola and King Mswati III of Swaziland has been published in the media across the world during the past 24 hours. It is based on a statement from the Swaziland Democracy Campaign calling for the drinks firm to sever its ties with the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa.

I wrote about Coca-Coal and Swaziland on this blog on 21 January 201. That posting contains more detail about what Coca-Cola gets up in to than the SDC report - so for those interested I have reproduced it here.

SWAZILAND: SPONSORED BY COCA-COLA

Coca-Cola is to work to promote Swaziland, a kingdom with one of the world’s worst human rights records.

Coca-Cola presently contributes about 40 percent of the kingdom’s gross domestic product (GDP) through the concentration plant it has in the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

This helps to prop up a regime that consistently uses torture against dissidents and alleged criminals. In September 2010, Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister, said he wanted people (especially foreigners) who criticised him and his government to be tortured using foot whipping.

Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA) has said that it will work with Coca-Cola to market the kingdom internationally.

Phiwayinkhosi Ginindza, SIPA Chief Executive, said a country market study done with Coca-Cola was almost complete.

Ginindza told the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned and edited by King Mswati, they had identified Taiwan, the Middle East, and Europe as some possible targets.

Swaziland supplies the Coca-Cola concentrate (the sugary syrup the drink is made from) to most of Africa, big parts of Asia and all of Australia and New Zealand from its industrial plant in Matsapha.

Swaziland has been mortgaged to Coca-Cola, ever since it allowed the company to use it in its fight against workers’ interests in other countries. In 2009, Coca-Cola closed its concentrate supply plant in Nigeria, citing an ‘unfriendly manufacturing environment’ in that country.

It had made ‘little profits because of the high manufacturing costs’.

Coca-Cola is said to be so large in Swaziland that it accounts for 40 percent of the kingdom’s GDP, but it is said to be exempt from paying full taxes.

Coca-Cola also has an impact on the international standing of Swaziland’s economy. The money generated by Coca-Cola is what largely accounts for the kingdom being classified as a ‘lower-middle income developing country’ (and therefore not eligible for certain types of international aid), even though seven in ten of Swaziland’s one-million population live in abject poverty, earning less than one US dollar a day.

This dominance of the Swaziland economy by Coca-Cola represents a breathtaking piece of economic mismanagement by King Mswati and the governments he appoints. It in effect allows Coca-Cola to determine the economic (and other policies) of the kingdom. Coca-Cola can blackmail Swaziland at any moment it likes. If it doesn’t get its way it simply has to threaten to take its business elsewhere and Swaziland’s already depressed economy sinks into the mire.

Of course, it could use this power for positive effects. It could demand political reforms in the kingdom that has one of the worst human rights records in the world. It could insist that political parties be unbanned and that the Swaziland Constitution be honoured.

Alas, Coca-Cola won’t do any of that: it likes things the way they are. Coca-Cola is in Swaziland in such a big way precisely because it is a dictatorship. This allows wages to be kept low, unemployment high and workers rights to be oppressed.

It also means that Coca-Cola can work directly with King Mswati and the King can ensure that the company gets all it wants. It is no secret that the King keeps a slice of the income from Coca-Cola ‘in trust for the nation’, which we all know means, ‘for himself’.

King Mswati is said to be so close personally to Coca-Cola that he visits the company’s global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, US, each year.

Ginindza, of SIPA, told the Observer, ‘We decided to use Coca-Cola as they have shown so much love for the continent [Africa] and they care for it. Over the past 20 years Africa has developed a relationship with them.’

But does Coca-Cola really ‘love’ Africa? In October 2010, Bloomberg Business Week reported that Coca-Cola’s sales in the US and other countries had stagnated and it will rely on some of the poorest nations (including in Africa) to generate the 7 to 9 percent earnings growth it has promised investors.

Consumption of Coke is also low in India and China, relative to the US, Europe, and Latin America, but those countries present less of an opportunity for the company than Africa, where Coke is the dominant brand and a middle class is just emerging.

Tara Lohan at foodchange.org reports that Coca-Cola has been in Africa since 1929, but has not reached total domination yet.

Lohan says, ‘The reason for this is that while there are many countries in Africa with growing middle classes, it’s also a continent with extreme poverty, scarce or unclean water sources, hunger, political instability, and war. Coke intends to spend $12 billion in the next ten years there and what do Africans get in return? A product that will use vast amounts of water, create more waste, and offer people no nutritional value.

Lohan adds, ‘Having recently been briefed on Coke’s sordid history in Michael Blanding’s new book The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the World’s Favorite Soft Drink, I have to say I’m extremely wary of the company’s advances. Blanding's book details Coke's history of anti-union activity in Central and South America, allegations of its fraternization with paramilitaries who murdered bottling plant workers, the effects of marketing to kids in schools, and the wake of environmental catastrophes the company left behind in places like India where Coke has drained and polluted drinking water.

Lohan says, ‘If that's what Coke has in store for Africa, then it looks like the continent is getting the raw end of the deal.’

So there you have it. King Mswati allows Swaziland to be taken for a ride, for his own personal gain.

2011: THE END OF THE BEGINNING?

2011-12-31T11:52:00.000+02:00

The end of the beginning? 2011, a year in the struggle for freedom in Swaziland by Richard Rooney is a new book published today (31 December 2011) and available free-of-charge online. You can read on screen or download it to your computer to print out. Click the link below.

Here is an extract from the Introduction to the book.

Tuesday April 12 2011 may yet go down in history as a watershed in the struggle for freedom in Swaziland. To borrow the words of Winston Churchill, it might not have been the day that the struggle for freedom in Swaziland ended in victory for the people. It might not even have been the beginning of the end. But it was, perhaps, the end of the beginning. After this day things would never be quite the same again in Swaziland.

It was on April 12 that Swaziland saw its biggest demonstration in living memory. It was to be the start of three days of protests across the tiny kingdom in southern Africa. Ordinary Swazis were fed up with the regime of King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. They’d had enough of being denied their basic human and civil rights and were ready to fight for their freedom. They wanted an end to the corruption of the King and the governments he appoints. They wanted the freedom to meet, to demonstrate, to form political parties and to choose their own government – all things denied to them by the King.

A group of people, unaffiliated with any of the existing political parties or lobby groups, created a Facebook site and called it the April 12 Swazi Uprising. April 12 was the day in 1973 that King Sobhuza II, the father of the present King, tore up the country’s constitution and began to rule by decree. Despite the signing into law of a new constitution in 2006, people in the kingdom still live under the yoke of that decree.

The April 12 group caught attention in Swaziland and across the globe. It called for an uprising to start on April 12 2011 and soon prodemocracy activists, trade unionists, journalists and progressives from all over the world were watching the kingdom.

Swaziland had seen many street protests before, but this one was to be different. This was meant to be the beginning of the end.

This one was also to be the first to be played out on the Internet. Members of the April 12 group claimed they were a real on-the-ground organisation with at least three full time organisers. Perhaps they were, but mostly their battle was fought in cyberspace using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and blogsites.

The Uprising was brutally put down by police, but the struggle for democracy in Swaziland continues. This book looks at what happened in 2011. It is compiled from the pages of Swazi Media Commentary, the blog that contains information and comment on the fight for human rights in Swaziland.

As well as the events of April 12, the book covers in much detail the massive meltdown of the Swazi economy, caused by the governments handpicked over the years by King Mswati; and also caused in no small part by the greed and corruption of the King himself and his close supporters.

The economic meltdown has sensitised many people in Swaziland to the need for root and branch political reform in the kingdom.

This book starts with a section on the April 12 Uprising which is followed by the account of the economy. There then follows separate chapters looking at events in each month of 2011. These events include many protests, including the Global Week of Action held in September. They also highlight the numerous violations of rights suffered by the poor, by children, by women and by sexual minorities, among others, in the kingdom.

2011. a Year in the Struggle for Freedom in Swaziland - Rooney

SWAZI MEDIA FREEDOM BOOK

2011-12-27T14:43:00.001+02:00

New book, Unheard Voices: Media Freedom and Censorship in Swaziland by Richard Rooney, FREE – available online here. Read online or download to your computer to print it out.

Unheard Voices, Media Freedom and Censorship in Swaziland - Richard Rooney

‘TIMES’ CENSORS ROYAL AIDE REPORT

2011-12-22T13:33:00.000+02:00

The Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only ‘independent’ daily newspaper, is self-censoring again.

It runs a report today (22 December 2011) that a royal aide has been fined five cattle and banned from royal households for ‘handling a certain matter’ without first consulting traditional prime minister TV Mtetwa first.

The Times doesn’t name the female aide, nor does it say what she is alleged to have done.

But the newspaper says, ‘The Times Investigations Department’ (whatever that is) ‘has been reliably informed that the aide was summoned to Ludzidzini royal residence three times before the beginning of the Little Incwala’.

It says, ‘The case was eventually concluded on Friday, November 18, 2011 when the aide was told of the fine and the ban.’

So the Times leaves its readers in a fog. But some Swazis are asking, could this be the same story that the truly-independent Swazi Mirror ran about Inkhosikati laDube, the 12th wife of King Mswati III, who was last month (November 2011) chucked out of the royal palace by Mtetwa and his henchmen?

The Mirror reported that laDube sent an aide to the Ministry of Home Affairs to change her name to Nonthando Moosa.

LaDube came to international media attention (but the news was censored in Swaziland) in August 2010 when she was discovered in a sexual affair with Ndumiso Mamba, the then Justice Minister.

Meanwhile, the Times report unwittingly gives an insight into what it’s really like for women in Swaziland. They have no standing on their own and are the subjects of their male relatives.

The Times reports the female royal aide was told she had to attend at police headquarters.

The newspaper quotes her saying, ‘When I got there he told me that he had been sent by TV Mtetwa to take me to Ludzidzini. When we got there I found Mtetwa and Bheki Dlamini who told me the reason I had been summoned. They asked for my relatives and I told them my brother was Chief Mvimbi. I was told to come with him the following day.’

She said on the next day her brother told Mtetwa and Dlamini that she was now a married person and therefore her matter had to be tackled by her husband.

The aide said, ‘We were then told to come on the following day again, with my husband this time. Indeed, I came with my husband, brother and other relatives. That was when Mtetwa told us of the fine and that I was not to be seen within royal households anymore. This was done without affording any of us a chance to give our side of the story.’

See also

KING’S WIFE THROWN OUT OF PALACE

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/kings-wife-thrown-out-of-palace.html

‘TIMES SIDES WITH TV AGAINST QUEEN’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/times-sides-with-tv-against-queen.html

BANK DETAILS FOR BAIL FUND

2011-12-21T11:59:00.000+02:00

The following bank account has been set up to receive contributions towards the E100,000 bail for Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni, the Swaziland Solidarity network has announced.

Bank: First National Bank [FNB]

NAME: M. Mkhwanazi & Associates

Account number: 62057572507

Branch Code: 280164

Mbabane-SWAZILAND

SWIFT Code: FIRNSZMX

See also

SHOCK AT MASSIVE MAXWELL BAIL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/shock-at-massive-maxwell-bail.html

TENSION AS PUBLIC SERVANTS UNPAID

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000+02:00

There is tension in Swaziland today (21 December 2011) amid fears of unrest as civil servants discovered they have not been paid this month.

Salaries should have been deposited in accounts yesterday, but although pay slips were sent out no funds were transferred to banks.

The Swazi Government is all but broke and had trouble paying salaries last month. Swaziland Finance Minister Majozi Sithole said then that he had secured enough money to pay salaries for four months.

There are now serious doubts that he was telling the truth.

Among those left unpaid are members of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), one of the main critics of the government.

The SNAT Facebook site has been awash with posts from teachers complaining against the government and calling for a mass protest to be held at the Ministry of Finance today, if salaries are not paid immediately.

Yesterday, disjointed reports came out of Swaziland saying that only members of the army, police and prison staff had been paid. It is unclear if this is true: some reports say as with the teachers they received pay slips, but no money.

There were also reports yesterday that road blocks have been set up throughout Swaziland leading to speculation that police were trying to disrupt any potential protests from unpaid civil servants.

Today, both Swaziland’s daily newspapers report the Swaziland Government claims that the money is available to pay salaries and that the delay in payment was caused by administrative error.

Media also report that Percy Simelane, the official government spokesperson, and Finance Minister Sithole were unavailable for comment most of yesterday and let their phones ring unanswered.

See also

SECRECY SURROUNDS NEW SWAZI LOAN

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-loan-easy-to-repay-claims-govt.html

DONATIONS WANTED TO PAY BAIL

2011-12-21T08:23:00.000+02:00

Supporters are trying to raise the E100,000 to bail out Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni from jail.

The pair, arrested on explosives charges in April 2011 at the time of Swaziland’s biggest pro-democracy protest in living memory, were granted E50,000 bail each yesterday by the Swazi High court, in what has been described as the biggest bail demand ever known in Swaziland.

Dlamini, is president of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) and Ngubeni is a former student leader.

The SNUS has issued an appeal for funds. It reports that anyone who is willing to assist can contact the SNUS leadership through Lomasiko Dlamini, the SNUS Secretary for International Affairs (+268 7636 2273).

Meanwhile, Africa Contact, the Danish-based Ngo, has offered to help collect bail money. In a statement issued through Peter Kenworthy of the Free Maxwell Dlamini Campaign it said donations can be send via the Africa Contact Mandela Fund here: http://www.afrika.dk/st%C3%B8t-mandela-fonden (remember to specify that the donation is for Maxwell and Musa’s bail), or by contacting Africa Contact’s Morten Nielsen at morten@afrika.dk.

See also

SHOCK AT MASSIVE MAXWELL BAIL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/shock-at-massive-maxwell-bail.html

SHOCK AT MASSIVE MAXWELL BAIL

2011-12-21T07:48:00.000+02:00

Peter Kenworthy, Stiffkitten

20 December 2011

SOURCE

Maxwell Dlamini granted bail – at a massive 50 000 Rand

After having been denied bail on several occasions previously since they were detained, allegedly tortured, and charged of possession of explosives in April 2011, Swazi student leader, Maxwell Dlamini and activist Musa Ngubeni have finally been granted bail by Swaziland’s High Court judge Bheki Maphalala today (20 December 2011).

Unfortunately for the pair, bail was set at 50 000 Rand (around 6 000 US$) per person – by far the highest bail ever in Swaziland, according to a correspondent from global news agency AFP who was present at the hearing. The judge also demanded that they surrender their passports before being granted bail and wants them to report to the Mbabane police station four times a week.

50 000 Rand is a staggering amount in a country where the government of absolute monarch, King Mswati III, cannot afford to pay its bills and the salaries of its civil servants, where two thirds of the population survive on less than a dollar a day, and where hundreds of thousands can only get by on food aid from the UN.

“The financial figure is very unreasonable,” a representative of the Swaziland United Democratic Front told Africa Contact today. ”This is a very unjust verdict for any court to make with regard to just a bail application. We are very angry and disappointed.”

Dumezweni Dlamini of the Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice said that Swaziland’s civil society regarded judge Maphalala as a government lackey. ”The precedent set by the same court when it released people accused of high treason by granting them bail was only set at 5 000 Rand,” he said.

Manyovu Mnisi, lawyer for the suspects, said he was shocked at the judgement. “We find the judgment to be shocking and devoid of legal reasoning. It is strange that an offence which carries a fine of 2 000 Rand and a jail term of just two years could attract such an exorbitant bail and stringiest conditions,” Mnisi said.

There have been repeated calls for the release of Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni, both from the Swazi democratic movement, who have called the charges “a cover up for the heavy-handedness the police” during pro-democracy demonstrations in April, and internationally from the Free Maxwell Dlamini Campaign and its supporters.

Africa Contact’s Mandela Fund is collecting donations for Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni’s bail. You can donate here: http://www.afrika.dk/st%C3%B8t-mandela-fonden (remember to specify that the donation is for Maxwell and Musa’s bail), or by contacting Africa Contact’s Morten Nielsen at morten@afrika.dk.

Read more about the Free Maxwell Dlamini Campaign here: http://freemaxwelldlamini.wordpress.com/

MAXWELL DLAMINI: MASSIVE BAIL SET

2011-12-20T15:35:00.002+02:00

Swazi student leader Maxwell Dlamini and his co-accused Musa Ngubeni were granted bail of E50,000 by the Swaziland High Court today (20 December 2011).

The bail is believed to be one of the highest amounts ever set by a Swazi court.

The total E100,000 is to be paid in cash before the release will go ahead. Bail conditions, including having to report to police four times a week, have also been set.

Maxwell and Ngubeni are accused of possessing explosives. They were arrested in April 2011 at the time of the biggest pro-democracy demonstration in Swaziland’s history and have been remanded in jail since.

See also

MAXWELL DLAMINI TRIAL TO BEGIN?

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/maxwell-dlamini-trial-to-begin.html

STEVE BIKO’S LEGACY FOR SWAZILAND

2011-12-18T10:41:00.000+02:00

Peter Kenworthy Stiffkitten blog

18 December 2011

SOURCE

Biko’s legacy lives on in Swaziland’s civil society

Looking at South Africa today, it is clear that the approach of the ANC has not ensured socio-economic justice for the majority of South Africa’s blacks. Indeed, the rich-poor divide has broadened, and South Africa has become the most unequal country in the world.

The same can be said of many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. But as South Africa’s tiny neighbour, Swaziland, is finding out, the solution might lie in the past, so to speak, more than in a future that has failed the test of time.

The ideas of Steve Biko certainly seem to be popular in Swaziland’s democratic movement. One of Swaziland’s prominent pro-democracy activists, student leader and political prisoner, Maxwell Dlamini, professes to be heavily inspired by Biko, and the main vehicle for civic education in Swaziland, the Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice, uses an approach to raising consciousness amongst people in Swaziland that is akin to, if not inspired by, that of Biko’s Black Consciousness Movement in the nineteen-seventies.

Steve Biko

Steve Biko grew up in the Ginsberg Location near King Williams Town, where nearly two hundred families shared around 40 communal taps and toilets. He also studied medicine and law at university, and was therefore acquainted with the plight of all walks of live in apartheid South Africa.

Biko was the father of the Black Consciousness Movement, as well as its main thinker and key catalyst, although he deliberately tried not to be dominant to enable others to assume responsibility and discourage a personality cult.

Biko’s general fearlessness in openly opposing the authorities such as during the SASO-BPC trial (where the apartheid government prosecuted and convicted nine members of the BCM for “subversion by intent”) in 1976, his unhesitant response to insult and his disregarding of his banning were probably contributing factors to his early death – he died in police custody in September, having been tortured and severely beaten. On the other hand, showing that he was not afraid of the authorities was also an important contributing factor in fostering the culture of fearlessness that helped end apartheid.

According to Biko, “the type of black man we have today [in the early seventies] … accepts what he regards as [his] inevitable position.” Biko believed that “the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor” was “the mind of the oppressed.” Black Consciousness was meant to enable blacks to fight this defeatism, develop hope, and build up their humanity and urging them to be their own “authorities rather than wait to be interpreted by others.”

Black Consciousness “no longer seek[s] to reform the system because so doing implies acceptance of the major points around which the system revolves,” said Biko. Liberation is not simply being about freedom from material conditions, but about “liberation … first from psychological oppression … and secondly from physical oppression.” “Ill distribution of wealth” and “a mere change of face of those in governing positions,” said Biko, would make any political freedom meaningless.

The Black Consciousness Movement

Biko therefore helped form the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) – an all-black organisation (the term “black” including all the oppressed South Africans; Africans, Coloureds, and Indians) – in 1968, Biko began working for the Black Community Programmes (BCP) in 1972, and he remained thoroughly active within the movement to help facilitate concrete programmes and organisations that could and would bring about first psychological, and secondly material, change.

The Black Community Programmes covered the fields of health, education, leadership training, publications, home industries and childcare, and especially the educational programmes were meant to introduce the message of self-reliance and Black Consciousness. The BCP were thus meant to give practical effect to the philosophy of self-reliance.

The ideas and practice of Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement was an important contributor to the dismantling of apartheid, especially to the psychological side of the liberation movement, where they successfully helped to diminish the element of fear in the minds of black South Africans who, prior to the manifestation of Black Consciousness in the late sixties were terribly scared of involvement in politics.

One of Biko’s main legacies was thus that development – both at the national and the personal level – was not merely about economics or other material conditions, but also about consciousness and self-belief. He saw that any true liberation must be founded on a psychological one – an insight that is highly relevant to Swaziland.

Swaziland

A strict traditional hierarchy and conservatism, illiteracy, lack of access to education and poverty in general has hindered democratic and rights-based consciousness in especially the rural areas of Swaziland. Furthermore, a repressive society such as Swaziland’s is domesticating, so to speak, as the oppressed tend to internalise the oppressor’s image of themselves and become fearful of freedom. Civic education in Swaziland’s rural areas is therefore essential, not only for the struggle for democracy, but also to ensure that a mental liberation precedes a physical one, and that the nature of a future Swazi democracy is inclusive and ultimately successful once the fight for democracy has been won.

Swazis are therefore in dire need of a political consciousness, that will help bring about democracy, observance of basic rights, and socio-economic justice in general. The problems in ensuring this are man-fold. Two-thirds of the population live below the poverty line – many on food aid from the UN, life expectancy is at under 40 years due to Swaziland’s extremely high prevalence of HIV, the country effectively bankrupt to serious financial mismanagement, the media is either heavily censored or self-censored, and the population has generally been unable or unwilling to connect their poverty and lacking influence to Swaziland’s filthy-rich monarchy.

All of this is changing, however, due to a combination of the population’s increasing desperation with the regime’s handling of the situation – cutting back on social services and brutalizing those within the democratic movement who dare to call for democratic reform.

The Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice

Until recently there has been no programme focusing specifically on inclusive civic education. For this reason, the Foundation for Socio Economic Justice was founded in 2003 as an organization to initiate “broad civic education programmes to encourage democratic participation and raise awareness on human- and constitutional rights amongst the rural populations, with an understanding on how this leads to poverty eradication”.

The overall goal of the Foundation is to “build a mass-based democratic force” through a bottom-up approach that includes partnership with, and capacity building of, marginalized, rural based organisations.

The Foundation’s Rural Civic Education programme is the cornerstone of the Foundation’s work and the civic educators are in the front-line of its work. The educational team covers a variety of democracy- and rights-related subjects on e.g. the history of Swaziland, the history of the unions, the political history of Swaziland, and issues about rural community organisation. The discussions that this education spawns also covers more concrete issues such as the lack of health facilities, schools, classrooms, water and employment that are then tied to the more overall topics.

As in apartheid South Africa, the conditions under which the lessons are given are difficult, however. Community leaders and Chiefs in some places victimize the educators and participants as they are seen as a threat to their authority and there is police surveillance of most meetings.

The result of this education can be seen in the fact that people to a much larger degree dare speak up in the presence of authorities such as headmen, chiefs and police officers, and that some have even stopped partaking in the traditionally sanctioned system of forced labour by i.e. refusing to plough the chief’s land for free.

And they can be seen in the persistent calls for democracy that have been heard in recent years – especially since this years so-called “April 12 Uprising”, where thousands demonstrated for democracy and socio-economic justice.

The Foundation has thus made great strides and progress in areas where the discussion of political issues or standing up to the authoritarian traditional system was previously impossible – very much like Biko’s Black Consciousness did in apartheid South Africa in the seventies.

On 18. December 2011, Steve Biko would have been 65 years old. This article is written in commemoration of him.

Read Peter Kenworthy’s “Bikoism vs. Mbekism – the role of Black Consciousness in Mbeki’s South Africa” here.

SWAZI GOVT STEALS PENSION FUNDS

2011-12-17T09:13:00.000+02:00

The Swaziland Government has stolen money intended for the public servants’ pension fund.

A total of E452 million (US$59 million) has been withheld from the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) over the past year. The Swazi Government has been struggling to pay its bills for most of 2011 and has had to resort to getting clandestine loans in order to pay government salaries.

It is estimated the monthly salary bill is in the region of E350 million. The government struggled to pay its November salaries and it is unclear whether it will meet December (2011) payments due this week.

Chief Executive Officer of the PSPF Cleopas Dlamini confirmed that the union had not received the money, which it would normally invest both locally and internationally for the benefit of its members.

‘We will forego the interest that we were supposed to get because government will bring the outstanding amount as is. This means that our growth will be lower than previous times. We will be compelled to review our targets because we had made projections already,’ he told the Times of Swaziland newspaper.

Majozi Sithole, Swaziland’s Finance Minister, admitted the government had not paid the pension contributions and did not expect to pay them any time soon. The Times reported it might be possible to pay up after April 2012 when Swaziland expected to receive some revenue from the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU).

Vincent Dlamini of the National Public Servants and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), told the Times, ‘We can all see that government is collapsing, it should not collapse with the Fund and us civil servants.’

AWARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER

2011-12-17T09:10:00.000+02:00

Swaziland’s human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko has been honoured by the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights.

Maseko received the Vera Chirwa Award to honour him for the role he and other Swazi lawyers have played in the fight for human rights in Swaziland.

See also

SWAZI LAWYER ON SWAZILAND CRISIS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/05/swazi-lawyer-on-swaziland-crisis.html

SWAZI HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER TALK

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/04/swazi-human-rights-lawyer-talk.html

SWAZI KING COCK AND BULL STORY?

2011-12-17T08:34:00.001+02:00

Africa is a country

15 December 2011

By Sean Jacobs

SOURCE

We were wondering whether the lurid tales of bestiality allegedly involving the King of Swaziland that are circulating on the internets — on Facebook and Scribd, among others, and apparently printed and handed out in the kingdom — would be picked up by the mainstream.

Then the Southern Africa Report, the Johannesburg-based weekly political and economic analyses brief, ran a piece on recent economic and political developments in Swaziland; and for some strange reason, the writers chose to open with a direct reference to the aforementioned stories:

‘For traditionalists, King Mswati III’s troubled year, the rapid collapse of Swaziland’s economy and the surge in pro-democracy protests has little to do with South Africa’s revision of [the regional] Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) disbursements late last year. It has its roots, instead, in an unfortunate variation in the mystic, and private, Incwala ceremony last December.

‘The ceremony is cloaked in secrecy and marks the king’s return to public life after a period of withdrawal and spiritual contemplation.

‘Among its highlights is a symbolic demonstration by the king of his power and dominance in a process involving his penetration of a black bull, beaten into semi-conscious immobility to ensure its compliant acceptance of the royal touch. The royal semen is then collected by a courtier and stored, for subsequent inclusion in food to be served at Sibaya – traditional councils – and other national forums.

‘But last year’s selected bull, according to a recent account from a whistle-blowing Incwala initiate, objected strongly, and threw off Africa’s last absolute monarch.

‘The symbolism was not lost on those who witnessed it. Mswati survived popular attempts to remove him, and the near-collapse of the Swazi economy in 2011 – but does not intend to risk another year like it.’

Southern Africa Report then abruptly returned to business — reporting about customs unions, economic indicators and the firing of judges. They left out other widely circulated sexual lore involving Mswati: public sex with his wives and being licked all over by a snake. The source of this story is one Sithembiso Simelane, identified as “a former regiment, who has since joined the revolution.” Simelane’s account was posted by ‘Pius UnSwazi Rinto’ (based in Durban) who calls himself a member of “The people of the Future Republic of Eswatani” which hopes “to bring true democracy in Swaziland.”

Since then, this incendiary detail about Mswati’s sexual proclivities has been republished on a range of sites (including aggregator sites like Allafrica.com and in some cases cut and pasted without any attribution). We thought it odd that a news publication would publish such allegations based on one source and a few repostings on social media sites.

Anyway, for Swazi watchers, there’s a lot more playing here. It’s a mix of politics, religion and exile. Read the full account (and the comments). It’s quite something. Swazi police has since jumped onto the ‘testimony’ with “an appeal to the nation for assistance in identifying and arresting certain individuals who are printing and distributing pamphlets in business and other public areas” (that’s Scribd and Facebook).

None of these official appeals stopped 80,000 ‘boys’ from attending the ritual this year. All of them were presented by His Majesty with new sneakers, which probably had something to do with the popularity of the event.

We are neither prurient teenagers nor prudes at AIAC, so we looked at these leaked stories as media critics and cultural scholars. Having read the classic anthropological papers about the Incwala ritual, two things in this account by Sithembiso Simelane struck us. New elements in his testimony are: (1) the part about the snake (“the belief is that it cleans him of all the troubles he faced this year so that he emerges a new and strong person the next year”) and (2) the actual penetration — by the King — of the comatose bull (usually an ox). If true, these are recently introduced parts in the ritual. Otherwise, previous anthropologists never included these particular details in their descriptions, or they were oblivious to them.

With the Swazi media now barred from covering this year’s ritual, we’ll have to rely on individual accounts — be it those from apostate regiment members or future anthropologists.

FEAR OF MASS HUNGER IN SWAZILAND

2011-12-16T12:19:00.000+02:00

Most of Swaziland’s 1.1 million people will need foreign food aid to fend off hunger this year.

And, the feudal system in Swaziland where chiefs rule is a major blame for this, according to a report by the IRIN news agency.

IRIN reports that poor rains this year will lead to bad crops. ‘The country will slide back into the need for food assistance for a majority of the population,’ Thembumenzi Dube, an Agriculture Ministry economist, told IRIN.

Rains failed during the October (2011) planting season in the usually productive central middleveld, as well as the generally drought-prone eastern and southern regions. The virtual absence of irrigation systems makes the country all the more dependent on the right amount of rain falling at the right time.

In the 1970s Swaziland was a net exporter of food, but since the early 1990s the country has been dependent on donor assistance to greater or lesser degrees. In 2010 about one in 10 Swazis depended on food aid.

‘The last three to four years had already shown signs of steadily increasing staple food crop production but this season will be bad compared to last year. Of course in some cases farmers can still grow other food crops such as sweet potatoes and sugar beans but the risk remains high with limited rainfall,’ Dube told IRIN.

About two thirds or more of the population rely on subsistence farming, although agriculture accounts for only 7.9 percent of gross domestic product.

‘The problem is that 70 percent of the population live as peasant farmers on communal Swazi Nation Land [SNL] which is operated under a system of chiefs. They practice the farming methods of their ancestors. No irrigation and little by way of fertilizer. They just drop in seeds and hope for rain. The failure to modernize will have its effects felt again this year,’ Charles Ndwandwe, a manager at a food distribution centre in the central Manzini region, told IRIN.

About 10 percent of the country is arable, and less than 1 percent of this land is used for export crops like pineapples and sugar cane.

The remaining arable land lies on SNL, where small-scale farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture. People live on the land without secure tenure or title deeds, and chiefs can evict people at will.

Without title deeds, SNL farmers cannot use their land as collateral to secure loans for irrigation equipment or other land improvements. Land reform proposals call for Swazis to be ‘owners [of land] rather than squatters’ with the aim of driving forward agricultural modernization.

However, land reform faces stiff political opposition: King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, imposes his authority through the chiefs’ system, and providing secure land tenure would undermine his rule, according to analysts.

To read the full report from IRIN, click here.

TROUBLE AND STRIFE FOR SWAZI KING

2011-12-16T10:26:00.000+02:00

Swaziland’s King Mswati III is confronting a revolt as three of his 13 queens have abandoned the palace since he took the throne in 1986.

And more of his queens are trying to break out of the palace, according to a report in Independent Newspapers, South Africa.

A royal source says some of the queens are frustrated as the king has allowed many months to pass without “visiting” them. They accuse him of seeking his pleasures outside the palace instead.

This comes after revelations about the recent unceremonious departure from the palace of LaDube, the king’s estranged 12th wife, after she had been accused of having a relationship with former minister of justice and constitutional affairs Ndumiso Mamba. To make matters worse, Mamba was the king’s business confidant and friend.

After the affair came to the king’s attention, he denied LaDube conjugal rights, according to insiders. They say he was trying to make palace life intolerable for her so that she would leave.

She is officially no longer part of the royal family and has been dumped at her maternal grandmother’s home in Hhohho.

She has been separated from her children, the youngest being two years. She has no food and the house she was dumped in has no bedding.

LaDube was the third of Mswati’s wives to leave the palace.

She followed LaMagwaza and LaHwala, who both now live in South Africa.

LaMagwaza was accused of having a steamy sexual relationship with a South African toy boy. Sources claimed that she was sex starved, as the king would not visit her.

At the height of the sex scandal, she was granted permission to visit her family home at Mbekelweni in central Swaziland and never returned. She is reported to be living a prosperous life after marrying an SA tycoon with whom she has a child.

LaHwala was also neglected by the king who would deny her conjugal rights for six months at a time.

Her uncle and guardian, Simon Noge, made a special request to the king for her to visit South Africa. She never returned. She is reportedly struggling, but one source said the palace was planning build her a house in South Africa since she has royal children.

To read the full Independent report, click here.

See also

‘TIMES SIDES WITH TV AGAINST QUEEN’

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/times-sides-with-tv-against-queen.html

KING’S WIFE THROWN OUT OF PALACE

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/kings-wife-thrown-out-of-palace.html

NO FOOD OR BEDDING FOR KING’S WIFE

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/no-food-or-bedding-for-kings-wife.html

KING’S SEX ACT AN INCWALA DRAW?

2011-12-14T13:26:00.001+02:00

Did the prospect of witnessing King Mswati III bugger a bull attract tourists to the Incwala yesterday (13 December 2011)?

It was ‘bad publicity’ for this year’s Incwala that boosted the numbers of locals who flocked to the ceremony, according to Swaziland’s Acting Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mtiti Fakudze.

Fakudze told the Times of Swaziland what was said recently about the event had attracted more people.

‘Those who criticise Incwala helped because they sensitised a lot of people about it. The criticism actually helped. Incwala represents us as Swazis. If you criticise it then you are marketing it,’ the Times reported Fakudze saying.

Once again the Times didn’t tell its readers just what this ‘bad publicity’ for Incwala was.

Those who have been paying attention know that top of the list are reports that during Incwala King Mswati III gets doped up on muti and practices witchcraft. He is also said to bugger a bull and have public sex with two of his queens.

With all of that on offer no wonder many locals wanted to get a sight.

While more tourists were said to be at Incwala, the media were banned from covering the main day of the cultural event, for what the Times called ‘the first time in recent history’.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Nathaniel Mahluza told editors about the ban, but he could not tell them why they could not attend.

Mahluza told editors the order came from his principals but he did not divulge the identity of theose principals, according to the Times.

The editors were told that only Swazi TV, the national broadcaster, would be allowed to cover the event.

See also

SWAZI KING AND BESTIALITY RITUAL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/swazi-king-and-bestiality-ritual.html

SWAZI POLICE SHOOT-TO-KILL, AGAIN

2011-12-14T12:21:00.001+02:00

Swazi police executed a suspect ‘cowboy style’ when they shot him in public, confirming fears that there is a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy in Swaziland.

Police had previously warned the mother of the dead man to ‘budget for funeral expenses’ as they intended to remove him. He was said to be on a police ‘wanted list’.

Thabani Mafutha Dlamini, aged 27, was gunned down by police on 8 December 2011.

The Swazi Observer newspaper reported, ‘Sources said Thabani Mafutha Dlamini was executed cowboy style on Thursday in the presence of his colleagues and homeboys.’

It added, ‘police are accused of allegedly “advising” Dlamini’s mother to budget for funeral expenses as they considered him as a troublesome person in the area, who needed to be removed’.

The Observer reported sources said police officers unexpectedly swooped in on Dlamini at a local shop; Mvungeni Grocery, at Nkwalini in Hlatikulu, where he was whiling away time with his friends and homeboys.

‘They said when he attempted to flee it was too late as three officers were already waiting at strategic points. Sources said Dlamini was apprehended in just a few seconds but he managed to slip out of the officers’ grip and took to his heels.

‘This supposedly sealed his fate as the few paces he took were enough to prompt the officers to fire three gunshots in his direction. It was said that one bullet that went through his back was enough to see Dlamini staggering and later dropping dead. The witnesses said he was left unconscious on the ground before being whisked by the same police officers to the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital, where he was certified dead on arrival.’

Dlamini was unarmed. It is unclear what crimes Dlamini is alleged to have committed, the Observer reported.

The Observer added, ‘The gunning down of Dlamini has sparked anger not only from his family but also a number of residents, who were calling for a probe to establish if it was necessary for the trigger happy police officers to kill him.’

This killing is not an isolated incident in Swaziland, where police have been involved in a number of controversial shootings.

In May 2011 it was reported police shot dead a man who was tending his dagga field and then planted a bullet in his underwear.

In October 2010, a suspect was shot six times even though he was handcuffed. Police said he was trying to escape.

In March 2010, police shot a man in cold blood who was trying to surrender to them.

In January 2010, Swazi policeman shot dead a man and critically wounded another when they shot at a car that failed to stop when they instructed.

Also in January 2010, police gunned down three men in cold blood. A man police claimed was shot while running away from them was later found to have bullet wounds in the front of his body.

Swazi police have been criticised for having a ‘shoot to kill’ policy. They have also been involved in a number of heavy-handed attacks on members of the public, including shooting near school children.

See also

SWAZI POLICE AND DEADLY FORCE

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/swazi-police-and-deadly-force.html

KING SNUBS TOP GHANA DIPLOMAT

2011-12-14T11:27:00.001+02:00

King Mswati III has snubbed Ghana’s High Commissioner to Swaziland by refusing to allow him to present his credentials – for nearly three years.

That means High Commissioner Lee Ockran, who is based in South Africa, has been unable to visit Swaziland to represent his people.

On top of this, Lawrence Azumah, head of Ghana’s consular services to Swaziland, who stands in for Ockran, says he was stopped at the Swazi border when he went to the kingdom recently to meet Ghanaians. He said the border control officers subjected him to identification checks, even though he carried a diplomatic passport.

The saga of Swaziland’s snub to Ghana was revealed after High Commissioner Ockran was unable to visit the kingdom for a pre-arranged meeting with Ghanaians in Swaziland.

GhanaWeb reported Ockran could not make it to the meeting as a result of refusal by the Swazi authorities to grant him audience with the King. Because of this he had to delegate to the head of consular services Lawrence Azumah.

The website reported that Azumah told the meeting that before his arrival he had to undergo ‘various security checks at the Swazi border post even though he had a diplomatic passport but the immigration officials subjected him to various identification checks before he was allowed entry’.

The meeting was told this harassment was to make sure that the High Commissioner did not enter Swaziland.

GhanaWeb reported, ‘Azumah made known to the Ghanaian community that ever since his excellency, the high commissioner Hon Lee Ockran was appointed by the president Attak Mills in 2009, the royal kingdom of Swaziland are still yet to accept his audience in the kingdom making it impossible for him to travel to Swaziland.’

SWAZILAND AGAINST MAIDS’ RIGHTS

2011-12-14T11:09:00.001+02:00

Swaziland was the only state among 183 countries to vote against a treaty to give domestic workers more employment rights.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) wants to limit working hours, guarantee weekly days off, ensure a minimum wage and protect domestic workers from violent employers. Its treaty called The Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers also guarantees privacy for live-in workers, school time for workers under 18, and equal treatment for migrants.

Swaziland was the only country that voted against it among 183 ILO members, and eight other countries abstained.

Although the convention was overwhelmingly passed at a conference in Geneva, all countries have yet to ratify it.

INFORMATION ON INCWALA CENSORED

2011-12-14T07:16:00.000+02:00

The Incwala ritual in Swaziland is over for another year and King Mswati III has ridden a bull (either cowboy-style or doggy-style depending upon which report you want to believe).

We cannot be sure what really happens at Incwala because the Swazi traditionalists won’t let us know.

They have gone to great lengths this year to stop people from knowing what is happening. A poor itinerant seller of pirate DVDs has felt the wrath of Swaziland’s ‘traditional prime minister’ T. V. Mtetwa.

Timothy Sibandze (40), who makes a living out of selling DVDs, was taken in for questioning two weeks ago by the police and then taken to the Ludzidzini Royal Residence, for a grilling from Mtetwa.

Sibandze had been accused of selling DVDs that included some footage from a past Incwala ceremony and this, according to Mtetwa, goes against Swazi culture.

Mtetwa ordered Sibandze, who is also an active member of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), to go find all the people he sold the DVDs to and get them back.

Since Sibandze sells his DVDs on the streets this is an impossible task and Mtetwa knows that. But that doesn’t stop him threatening Sibandze. According to a report in the Times of Swaziland, Mtetwa has summoned Sibandze to another meeting where he is expected to bring the DVDs.

‘He had better do so on his own because if people are to be instructed to fetch him then there will be trouble,’ the newspaper quotes Mtetwa saying.

The clampdown is entirely on Mtetwa’s initiative. No criminal case has been brought against Sibandze and any punishment he might ultimately receive rests with Mtetwa. An earlier report suggested Sibandze and his family could face banishment from his homestead.

Meanwhile, the search is on for a group of people who have printed and distributed pamphlets about Incwala. A police spokesperson told the Swazi Observer the pamphlets contained ‘malicious and misleading fabrications aimed at tarnishing the country’s customs and traditions.

The spokesperson said, ‘It must be categorically stated that the people behind the printing and distributing of the spiteful material are grossly violating the laws of the country.’

Despite the police’s claim, it is unclear which laws exactly are being violated as the Swaziland Constitution (at least on paper) allows for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

The Observer reported, ‘The police have not stated what was the malicious information contained in the pamphlets.’

Not for the first time the Swazi media simply take their word of the police that some outrage has been committed against the state.

I haven’t myself seen the pamphlets but it is being speculated that they contain the report from Sithembiso Simelane that was distributed on the Internet last month (November 2011) which detailed the witchcraft rituals that took place at Incwala.

The report also said that King Mswati took ‘muti’ at Incwala, and allowed himself to be licked all over his body by a snake while drugged. In one part of the sacred ceremony King Mswati has sexual intercourse with a drugged bull; in another he publicly has sex with two of his wives.

See also

ILLEGAL TO POSSESS INCWALA SONGS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/illegal-to-possess-incwala-songs.html

SWAZI KING AND BESTIALITY RITUAL

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/swazi-king-and-bestiality-ritual.html

NOW, EVEN HOLY SPIRIT IS SEDITIOUS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/now-even-holy-spirit-is-seditious.html

MAXWELL DLAMINI TRIAL TO BEGIN?

2011-12-12T09:32:00.001+02:00

December 11, 2011

Peter Kenworthy, of the Free Maxwell Dlamini Campaign, writes.

SOURCE

Maxwell trial to finally begin?

Will the trial of Swazi student leader, Maxwell Dlamini, and his co-accused, Musa Ngubeni, finally be heard in court? The trial has been delayed since Dlamini and Ngubeni were detained in April, in connection with the biggest demonstrations for democracy and socio-economic justice in Swaziland in many years – the so-called “April 12 Uprising.”

They were accused of being in possession of explosives, a charge that people within Swaziland’s democratic movement call preposterous, and allegedly tortured and forced to sign a confession. According to Vincent Ncongwane, Secretary General of the Swaziland Federation of Labour, the arrests and charges are an attempt to “cover up for the heavy-handedness the police applied against innocent citizens” during the April 12 uprising.

“Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni’s trial is at the Manzini magistrate court right now,” the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) reported on their Facebook site on Wednesday. “It began in the morning, but was adjourned for 1400hrs, Swazi time. It appears that no magistrate wants to entertain the case of Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni. It has been reported that Magistrate Florence did not want to entertain it. Reasons for refusal to hear the case have not yet been reported. The case has been postponed to Monday 9am, Manzini Magistrate’s court!”

“The magistrate was supposed to fix Maxwell’s trial date but that did not happen,” Sibusiso Magnificent Nhlabatsi from SNUS tells Africa Contact. “He will appear again on Monday December 12 at the same court for setting of the trial date. On 14 December his lawyer will be appealing his bail refusal at the high Court of Swaziland. We were shocked that he was due to court as we were told that such would be held in chambers. But in the next appearances students will be out in numbers.”

Given the long delay, the refusal to grant bail and the repeated irregularities, it is obvious that King Mswati’s regime are trying to postpone the case for as long as possible, as they did with a similarly political trial against PUDEMO President, Mario Masuku in 2009 – a terrorism trial that, when it finally began after nearly a year, was laughed out of court in less than a day.

“The magistrate’s decision is tainted with irrationality in that it is so outrageous in its defiance of logic or of accepted moral standards that no sensible person who applied his mind to the question to be decided could have arrived at,” Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni’s laywer, Mandla Mkhwanazi, told the Swazi Observer on Friday after the pair were again refused bail and the case was again postponed.

Maxwell Dlamini is getting frustrated, says a source from within the democratic movement who wishes to remain anonymous for reasons of security. “The last time Maxwell was visited he requested that we call upon the setting of his trial dates. He is frustrated at the fact that his languishing in jail and doesn’t even know his trial dates. He also complained that the state doesn’t want him to read any books or newspapers with political stories. He requested that I buy him any books or magazines that are non-political.”

BOTSWANA UNION AGAINST SWAZI KING

2011-12-09T11:58:00.001+02:00

A major trade union in Botswana has resolved to help the people of Swaziland to remove King Mswati III from power.

Botswana Land Boards, Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU) at its annual meeting last weekend (3 December 2011) said it was planning a trip to Swaziland to share ideas on mobilisation and how to stage successful campaigns.

Mmegi, a Botswana newspaper, reported that BLLAHWU called on the Botswana government to take a firm stand against ‘the dictatorship of Mswati’ to ensure democracy in Swaziland.

BLLAHWU secretary general, Ketlhalefile Motshegwa said King Mswati was living a lavish lifestyle while Swaziland’s economy was ailing.

The decision to help the people of Swaziland ‘topple’ Mswati has been widely reported in the Botswana media.

The Echo newspaper had the news as its main front page story yesterday (8 December 2011). In a story headlined ‘UNION TO HELP TOPPLE MSWATI’ it reported KesitegileKekgonegile, BLLAHWU president, saying the union did not want to see King Mswati ‘dethroned from his kingship’.

The Echo in a report that has not appeared online quoted Kekgonegile saying, ‘We are saying the people of Swaziland should be helped to usher in a democratically-elected government. By saying so we are not calling for regime change of a government that would have been democratically elected.

‘What we are talking about is for the Swazis to gain freedom of association and the right to choose whoever they want to have as their leader through the ballot and not a situation where people have not been given a chance to exercise that right.’

‘TIME TO SUSPEND SWAZILAND’

2011-12-08T10:55:00.000+02:00

Stephen Brown

7 December 2011

Huffington Post

SOURCE

Dear The Commonwealth, It's Time to Suspend Swaziland

In April, Maxwell Dlamini, the President of the Swaziland National Union of Students, was arrested just outside of Manzini, Swaziland. He was beaten, tortured and forced into signing a declaration admitting to carrying explosives that were never found. He was protesting against a direct instruction from Africa's last absolute monarch, King Mswati III to stop any young person with a connection to a pro-democracy movement from getting into university.

This is one in a very long line of international violations by an ever beleaguered king. Educated in Britain, King Mswati III is rich but his country is bankrupt and has been in a state of emergency since 1973. As I said in a previous Huffington Post blog, King Mswati is royally screwing the people of his country and nobody is doing anything to stop him.

I visited Swaziland just last month and the people remain as disempowered and isolated from politics as they always have. I interviewed a number of people, city and rural, employed and unemployed and whilst all of them agreed that democracy was the most important next step they felt unable to ask for it. Not surprising in such a peaceful country where the demonstrations of April were the first in decades and largely without effect. In a poor country like Swaziland, politics is the change-maker. Aid forms part of the strategic solution, an important one, but regime change and the democratisation of Swaziland is the only way forward.

Swaziland is a member of the Commonwealth, an institution which claims "54 independent states working together in the common interests of their citizens for development, democracy and peace."

Imprisoning students, torturing and beating them and ruling absolutely is a funny way of sticking to that pledge. So far, the Commonwealth has done and said little. Observing a few elections to form a pretend government and sending over British and European politicians to drink tea with the king is about as radical as they've got. It sounds all very British.

But the Commonwealth has suspended two countries in the past, Nigeria and the Fiji Islands, because of a lack of democracy. Neither was deemed to adhere to "the principles of the Commonwealth." It's a disappointing set of circumstances that seem to suggest one rule for one, more visible member and another for somewhere most newscasters and politicians couldn't pick out on a map. Moreover, the injustices pushed upon the people of Swaziland are so far superior to what was happening in Fiji, it makes it impossible to grasp the reasoning for inaction from the Commonwealth.

King Mswati has no intention of letting go of his absolute rule and his antiquated traditions are helping to wipe out an entire generation. He sacks Prime Ministers as and when he pleases. He's alienated investment, destroyed the economy and presided over a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in Africa. He has imprisoned and tortured anyone that opposes him. Yet, despite having never entered into a war, he has spent millions on new weaponry.

I'm asking for Swaziland to be suspended from the Commonwealth. I don't pretend that this will be an immediate step forward towards democracy in Swaziland but the international coverage this will bring will further embarrass the King and redirect our focus onto the forgotten heroes of this deeply poor country, such as Maxwell.

Without strategic or financial importance to the world, Swaziland is allowed to continue along this destructive path -- it has the worst HIV/AIDS infection rate and the lowest life expectancy rate of any country in the world. So much of this is due to the poor governance and lack of women's rights across the country. Maxwell remains in jail even after suffering what his family describe as a small stroke. The authorities are even refusing to offer him a hearing date. It's likely he'll remain there for the next year unless someone steps up.

Hey Commonwealth, I'm looking at you.