YCLSA expresses unconditional solidarity and support for ongoing mass action in Swaziland
Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] is encouraged by the on-going mass action for people’s power in Swaziland (so called ‘eSwatini’) against one of Africa’s most oppressive regimes led by the brutal monarch King Mswati. The struggle for democracy in Swaziland is long overdue and can no longer be postponed nor delayed.
Yesterday, the government of Swaziland elected to shutdown the internet and network coverage simply to unleash the military to kill citizens. It has been confirmed that five people were certified dead, and more than 50 citizens were admitted with gunshot wounds at the Mbabane government hospital as a result of the barbaric decision by the Mswati regime to unleash terror on ordinary citizens who are simply demanding democracy and social justice.
Mswati must be arrested for genocide that he has intentionally unleashed on the people of Swaziland for decades. The recent scenes of terror on citizens are just a “tip of the iceberg”. For decades, the Mswati regime has killed citizens intentionally including for wearing political party t-shirts.
Swaziland remains one of the few countries in the world, together with the oppressive Israeli regime, who still excise the apartheid law of ‘detention without trial’. In South Africa, many activists and freedom fighters lost their lives as a result of this law, and many activists have been brutally punished and even killed in Swaziland as a result of this law.
For more than half a decade, citizens in Swaziland hospitals were forced to make plans to procure medication for themselves as the country has been experiencing a shortage of medication due to the fact that government budget was largely spent to strengthen state security to butcher citizens and for sponsoring Mswati’s baecations and gifts for his family.
Many activists in Swaziland have been in exile for more than three decades and throughout these years they were prohibited from burying their family members or having any form of access to their family members in Swaziland since they were banned by Mswati’s regime. To add salt to injury, Mswati wasted taxpayer’s money on Intelligence Services and networks that were employed to haunt activists in their countries of exile.
Many South African leaders from the Mass Democratic Movement have also experienced Mswati’s brutality. The 1st Deputy General Secretary of the SACP, Comrade Solly Mapaila, has been officially banned from Swaziland for years now. Comrade Solly Mapaila never committed any crime in Swaziland or against the regime, he was banned for simply calling for democracy. COSATU leaders have also been harassed for simply attending gatherings in Swaziland.
The trauma caused by Mswati to the people of Swaziland just like the trauma caused by all oppressive regimes, it will take decades to eradicate and heal. Possibilities are that it will take generations in order to heal the people of Swaziland from the terror intentionally inflicted on them by the brutal monarch.
We are calling for the immediate closure of the Swaziland consulate in South Africa and all other institutions which are administered by the oppressive regime.
While we understand the diplomatic posture of the South African government for peace and dialog in Swaziland, history has taught South Africa well that no dialogue or peace negotiations takes place under political oppression. Negotiations or dialogue should only take place after the unbanning of all political parties, the unconditional return of all exiles and the release of all political prisoners.
Our message of solidarity to the people of Swaziland is to intensify and continue the fight to liberate their country from Mswati’s genocide. Patria o Muerte!
Naftal Kambungu, Vice President of WFDY for Africa Region issued the following statement:
The World Federation of Democratic Youth and it’s African member organisations observed intensified strikes, riots and civil uprisings in eSwatini for several days. As a broad international youth organisation aimed at uniting world youth for lasting peace, we are against any form of imperialism, fascism, dictatorship and autocracy. We call for good governance and genuine democracy in eSwatini. We call for the eSwatini government to cultivate a harmonious and conducive political environment by allowing political parties, civil activists, students organisations and trade unions to express their freedom as they demand their fundamental human rights. We call on SADC and AU to assist in finding amicable solution to this political crisis.
Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba]
