Swazi+regime+and+fellow+opportunists+attack+on+COSATU+diversionary


 * The Swazi regime and fellow opportunists attack on COSATU for border blockade is a well calculated move to divert attention from the real issue: Democracy and freedom in Swaziland NOW! **

12 April, 1973 is the day the people of Swaziland felt the wrath of a despot on the warpath. It is the day when king Sobhuza 11, on the advice of the Afrikaner Broederbond and of his own greed for power, proclaimed to the nation;

//“Now, therefore I, Sobhuza 11, king of Swaziland, hereby declare that, in collaboration with my cabinet ministers and supported by the whole nation, I have assumed supreme power in the kingdom of Swaziland and that all legislative, executive and judicial powers is now vested in myself and shall, for the meantime be excercised in collaboration with my cabinet ministers. I further declare that to ensure the continued maintenance of peace, order and good government, __my armed forces have been posted to all strategic places and have taken charge of all government places and all public services”__ (section 3)…………....all political parties and similar bodies that cultivate and bring about disturbances and ill-feelings within the nation are hereby dissolved and prohibited” (section 11).//

Following the significance of this day to the lives of the democracy-loving people of Swaziland and the world, the Swaziland Solidarity Network since 2003 declared April as the month of focus on Swaziland. It is in this context that annually there are major focus activities being organized by the SSN to commemorate this date and bring back the painful memories of a freedom taken away by a despot.

For many years this day has always been commemorated by PUDEMO in Swaziland, which was then later joined by the SFTU and many other organizations in Swaziland under the auspices of the SDA (founded in 1996) as an umbrella body co-ordinating the mass movement for democracy in the country.

For the SSN, therefore, this is a continuation of the progressive traditions of the Swazi progressive movement outside the borders of Swaziland, which means actually taking the struggle into the international arena.

In the very spirit, the year 2006, just like all other years, had this important political calendar day for the oppressed and struggling masses of Swaziland. The massive arrests and detention of PUDEMO and SWAYOCO cadres towards the end of last year until their recent bail grant, made this imperative even more urgent. It demanded that the SSN intensify its work of co-ordinating an international movement of civilized people, true democrats and genuine patriots in defence of the Swazi people’s dignity.

This is why the SSN convened an urgent meeting around February, 2006 in Johannesburg to discuss with its stakeholders and members, the pressing issues in Swaziland, key amongst them, being the arrests and torture of PUDEMO and SWAYOCO activists in jail and the general worsening conditions in the country. In that meeting, which was well attended by all members of the progressive movement in South Africa; trade unions, church organizations, youth and students organizations, NGOs, political movements and other interested individuals, including academics, the issue of the need to intensify the pressure against the Mswati regime was discussed at length and ultimately, a decision was made.

In that meeting, PUDEMO briefed delegates at length about developments in Swaziland and what could be done. Amongst the things PUDEMO suggested was a border Blockade and marches to raise the profile of the Swazi struggle and focus the world on Mswati’s intensifying atrocities against the people of Swaziland.

That decision was that on the 7th March, 2006, when the jailed PUDEMO and SWAYOCO comrades appear in court, we must hold pickets in South Africa as a demonstration of our practical solidarity with them and support for their cause. Hence the successful pickets in Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces, primarily co-ordinated through COSATU structures, but involving a broad based coalition of forces against oppression.

The second major resolution of that meeting was that the month of focus on Swaziland, which is April must be used to hit the Swazi regime where it matters the most, and that is at the level of the economy that sustains oppression, so that Mswati’s regime is forced to the negotiation table with the genuine representatives of the oppressed people of Swaziland, of which PUDEMO is the main force, so as to formulate a new and democratic constitutional dispensation for the country.

In all of these activities, COSATU, the SACP, YCL, the ANCYL or any other progressive organization participating in this network, always emphasized that the struggle must be led by the Swazi people. They will only support and respond to the requests of the Swazi people. However, they consistently emphasized that they offer no apologies for supporting a good cause, a cause that reinforces their own victory against the forces of apartheid brutality.

They always insisted that it is an honour for them to be part of Africa’s renewal from below, by the struggles and efforts of ordinary and humble people determined to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.

With this mandate from the popular representative of the oppressed people of Swaziland, PUDEMO, the SSN was tasked with the responsibility of organizing a broad forum involving all progressive organizations from Swaziland together with their South African counterparts in Witbank, a responsibility which was assigned to COSATU in logistical terms, with the political role of leading this process fully in the hands of the SSN. Hence, the 31st March meeting in Witbank, where progressive Swazi organizations, youth, political, trade unions and other organizations met with their South African counterparts to discuss the issue of the blockade and the general programme for the democratic struggle in the country.

Some union leaders in bed with the Swazi monarchy
What we are told is that immediately after that meeting, the royal regime arranged a counter meeting at Ngabezweni royal residence in Swaziland and invited some trade unionists. In that meeting, it is said, there was an agreement that the blockade must be sabotaged, after the state extended a warm handshake to fellow trade unionists and promises were finalized. It must be remembered that the history of trade union leaders, to a large extent, in Swaziland is littered with numerous examples of floor-crossing, examples could include;
 * Albert Shabangu – current Deputy Prime minister (former SNAT President)
 * Themba Msibi – current minister of Public administration and information (former SFTU Deputy President)
 * Jabulane Nxumalo – current Deputy Mayor of Mbabane city (former SFTU Deputy General Secretary)
 * Magwagwa Mdluli – current member of parliament (former SNACS President)
 * Winnie Magagula – ex-Chairperson of SPTC Board and member of parliament (former SFL General Secretary)
 * Bheka Mabuza – Swazi National Council – king’s advisor (former President of SFL)
 * Obed Dlamini – former Prime minister and current member of parliament (former leader of SFTU)

There are several others, which has opened the doors of opportunism amongst some current trade unionists, who are now struggling with one foot in the trenches and the other across the river. It is therefore, not suprising that after the Ngabezweni meeting, two prominent trade unionists, Jan Sithole and Musa Dlamini, without any mandate from their organizations, went straight to the SBIS (Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Services) to proclaim themselves prodigal sons of the Swazi struggle, who have just seen the light or found logic in the tinkhundla system.

They started making all sorts of threats against workers who will participate in the blockade. In the 12th April, 2006 Swazi Observer, the Secretary General of the SFTU, Jan Sithole made the following statement, though he later complained of misquotation, yet he said it more clearer on radio, “Blockade today, dismissals tomorrow”. This is why no minister, except a brief reference by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, bothered to demonise the blockade, because they had found people who could do it better. Their statements were played regularly on Swazi radio, which was followed by heaps of praises by ministers and staunch traditionalists or well known opponents of democracy. The last chorus singer in praising them was the king in his “sermon” during the easter weekend service at his royal church, Lobamba.

The most interesting thing is that historically Musa and SNAT generally have never been part of any blockade and it was suprising that all of a sudden they are denouncing the blockade, particularly because they always want to be “neutral and professional”, so as not to antagonize the system. However, their right to choose which side of the struggle do they stand on is entirely theirs. The other hope they had was that it will demobilize Swazi workers from active participation in the blockade, which unfortunately fro them could not be the case, but on the contrary, the thousands of Swazi workers went out in full support of the blockade. In the words of one Swazi teacher speaking at Oshoek Border post, “which workers were they referring to, because they had not mandate to speak on our behalf, we support the blockade fully. We as teachers want freedom and democracy too”.

Terry Bell, a labour analyst with the Business Times of South Africa had this to say on the episode, “But the SFTU did not join the protests. Instead, on the eve of the blockades, SFTU general secretary Jan Sithole issued a joint statement with Musa Dlamini, the acting president of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (Snat), warning Snat and SFTU members not to join the protests”.

He went on to say, “Confusingly, Snat is not affiliated to the SFTU. It is regarded as __highly conservative and pro-monarchist__.

The confusion caused by the call by Sithole and Dlamini had hardly begun to register when news came through of seven South African trade unionists being shot and injured and 25 arrested by the South African police while attempting to blockade the Matsamo border post.

It also appears to have resulted in considerable embarrassment in Swaziland ………..and to have contributed to renewed calls for unity. "South Africans suffered in solidarity with us while some of our leaders were playing politics," an SFTU official notes bitterly.

In the wake of the police action, the SFTU stated: "Our non-participation at this particular event should not be interpreted as either disassociating ourselves with the struggle or the issues."


 * In an article written by the Mduduzi of the Times of Swaziland, it said, “****His Majesty King Mswati III has expressed his delight to the country’s union, the Federation of Swaziland Trade Unions (SFTU) for ignoring the recent blockade of the country borders by PUDEMO and the COSATU.**

The king said that he was happy that unions are now very ‘patriotic’ and thus are willing to work with him in having peace and economic prosperity for the country.

In an interview recently the king said, “I was very happy to see that our unions were very patriotic with regards to the blockade and did not take part in it.”

However, even before the blockade confusion by these unionists, signs had started indicating their intentions. Their participation in all projects initiated by the tinkhundla regime, such as the so-called job creation summit, the royal constitutional consultation process at the royal cattle-byre at Lobamba and encouraging workers interested in the royal elections circus to participate, were clear indicators of a well calculated move to respond positively to the regime’s **political massage** tactics.

However, workers cannot be fooled forever by people who use them to climb the ladder of royal privilege. Workers are seriously demanding leadership that represents their interests, as they asserted at the border blockade and the results are yet to show.

Further the presence of the Justice, Peace and Reconcilliation Commission of the Council of Swaziland Churches, proved that churches refuse to be fed the dogma that matters affecting the poor are not the business of the church. The church in Swaziland is playing its part in speaking out for the poor and oppressed, particularly the Council of churches, because it recognizes that the struggle for a society based on sound morals is inseparable from the struggle for democracy and human dignity.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we clarify this matter, because the poisonous vernom of the royal system, its agents and opportunists may harm the cause and the good work done. The outstanding support of thousands or South African and Swazi workers and activists is worth serious commendation from anyone serious about the fundamental resolution of the Swazi question.

The media of Swaziland tried, without success, to undermine the success and impact of the blockade, but the outbursts of their tinkhundla patrons proved that it hit where it was meant to hit. The Swazi state has felt the heat and is yet to feel it. The South African media, however, chose to concentrate on the legalities of the activity and whether police were justified to arrest and injure workers, instead of the issues that led to the blockade, which are about the democratization of Swaziland.

In this regard, anyone who wants to blame anybody for the blockade must blame the SSN and not COSATU, because COSATU responded to a call for solidarity. Because it knows from its own history what it means to suffer in isolation and the value of international solidarity, it could not afford the luxury enjoyed by armchair academics, who see the struggle as some Hollywood script or drama worth endless comments and critics. For them its some drama unfolding from outer space and does not have anything to do with human lives and defence of the very hard won gains here in South Africa.

COSATU owes no one an apology for being part of a legitimate cause and has stated clearly that it pleads guilty to the crime of supporting democracy and the cause of the oppressed people in Swaziland and beyond. It has done so for the people of East Timor, Palestine, Western Sahara, Cuba, Zimbabwe, why not for the people of Swaziland. COSATU is not paying lip service to its motto; an injury to one is an injury to all and that’s what the blockade was about. Silence would have amounted to collaboration with the forces of oppression and betrayal of the Swazi people’s cause for democracy and social justice.

No amount of anger and viciousness on the part of the Swazi regime will stop the march to a new and democratic Swaziland
The SSN wish to states clearly and in no uncertain terms that this was only the beginning, workers from both countries may soon be called to the trenches once again for a life and death or killer blockade, which shall break the backbone of the royal despot, once and for all. We need to intensify and sustain the offensive, because time is not on our side. Everyday, the tinkhundla system lives, it costs unquantifiable damage in human terms.

The amount of commitment demonstrated by the progressive trade union movement of Swaziland and its leadership as the General Secretary of STAWU (Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union), Cde Bhutana Nkonde stated in his address to the Oshoek Border blockade, when he said, “Only those who feel comfortable with the current system can want to delay the freedom of workers and the people of Swaziland in general”.

This is a clear and firm commitment to the plight of the thousands of Swazi workers who daily suffer royal humiliation and can ill-afford the luxury of academic debates about the effect on the Swazi economy, because the question is, whose economy. The stronger the economy, the stronger the capacity of the state to repress the poor and workers, which means we need to hit where it matters the most, and that is at the economic citadels of the royalist regime.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network has convened an urgent meeting to take forward the good work and consolidate with the aim of developing a sustained and vicious momentum against the Mswati regime.

An even more comprehensive and sustained programme shall soon be announced, as the progressive organizations of Swaziland are also holding theirs soon for the same purpose, then a joint meeting shall be held to finalise a joint offensive.

The Border blockade pressure is now bearing fruits
Mswati is silently and reluctantly beginning to talk about unbanning of political parties, though only in some media talks. He knows what to do, which is, he is supposed to invite PUDEMO and all political and non- political organizations to a national forum for serious discussions, rather than gossip over the media due to the pressure he is feeling.

We seek to maintain the pressure until it blows his stubborn head off. Time is not on our side, we need to act with urgency, as people are dying in Swaziland. Silence means betrayal of the suffering people of Swaziland.


 * Bongani Masuku**
 * Secretary General**
 * Swaziland Solidarity Network**