SSN WELCOMES STANCE OF ANC, SACP, COSATU, SANCO ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN SWAZILAND

SSN WELCOMES STANCE OF ANC, SACP, COSATU, SANCO ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN SWAZILAND

…condemns blatant abuse of power by king Mswati as he denies access to lawyers for PUDEMO President Cde. Mario Masuku.

SSN STATEMENT – Saturday 13^th SEPTEMEBER 2014

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) together with all individuals and entities involved in the fight for freedom and calls for democracy in Swaziland whole heartedly welcomes embraces and supports the unequivocal stance by the South African Alliance Partners namely ANC, SACP, COSATU and SANCO, in solidarity with the downtrodden people of Swaziland.

The Alliance Secretariat, consisting of the secretaries and deputy secretaries of all Alliance partners, met on Friday 12 September in its regular meeting and discussed organizational and political matters. The meeting also discussed issues pertaining to State/public Institutions and matters of International Solidarity.

In an unambiguous display of democracy with the Swazi masses, the Alliance has echoed the calls for the unconditional release of president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Comrade Mario Masuku and all other political prisoners in Swaziland. The comrades jailed by the draconian Swazi regime for their calls for freedom, respect for human rights and freedom of expression and association in Swaziland. These prisoners of conscience incarcerated for demanding full democratization of their country.

We welcome the stance of the Alliance partners in calling for pressure to bear on Mswati and his handpicked government for him to take convincing steps to uphold the dictates of justice, human rights and freedom for all the people of Swaziland.

We are also encouraged by the explicit stance of the Alliance in support of comrades seeking conference of full refugee status by the South African government. We are encouraged and heartened by the solidarity and friendship, shown by the Alliance secretariat on comrades who are fleeing from political persecution in Swaziland.

Suffice it to quote an excerpt from the ground-breaking joint statement of the Alliance: “The Alliance calls for the release of comrade Mario Masuku and all other political prisoners in Swaziland. South Africa must confer refugee status on those fleeing from political persecution in their home-country.  We urge the people and government of Swaziland to speedily move towards democracy.”

Such solidarity could not have come at a more opportune time than when the Swazi regime continues to display its arrogance and disregard for national and international voices calling for meaningful democratic changes in Swaziland.

Only this week, PUDEMO reported that legal representatives of its leader, Comrade Mario Masuku denied access to him by officials of His Majesty’s Correctional Services. Commissioner General Mzuthini Ntshangase heads the institution.

PUDEMO reports that: “In what is turning out to be a trend, President Mario Masuku was refused a session with legal representation It has become a norm that officials of the Swaziland security apparatus disregard the law in claiming that they are following orders, especially where the law has to apply to serve political activists.”

SSN is deeply concerned about the blatant abuse of human rights going on in Swaziland. We are even more outraged by the manner in which Comrade Masuku, who has been leading the effort to fight for the freedom of the Swazi people, by among other things speaking truth to power, has been treated and victimized by the Swazi authorities. Masuku’s, legal representatives led by Attorney Leo Gama, who wanted to consult with their client were denied access, with prison officials at the Zakhele remand center claiming to be following orders.

The SSN maintains that as long as SADC, the AU and the UN leadership recognizes and gives legitimacy to the sham rule of Swaziland’s monarch, king Mswati III, any talk of constitutional democracy in the region whole will remain subdued.

SSN calls on SADC to demand from king Mswati the immediate release of Cde. Masuku and all prisoners of conscience currently illegally held in Swazi jails. SADC should also initiate, monitor and support a process of dialogue based on internationally accepted political reforms. These entail the unbanning of PUDEMO and other pro-democracy groups, which hitherto have illegally proscribed. These human rights defenders and proponents of freedom should be given full access and freedom to consults and engage their constituency on a way forward.

We also demand the unconditional release of a South African Internationalist Cde. Amos Mbenzi, [SWAYOCO] Secretary General Cde Maxwel Dlamini, Human Rights Lawyer Cde Thulani Maseko, The Nation Magazine editor Cde Bheki Makhubu and all other political prisoners who are currently languishing in Mswati’s jails.

The SSN condemns the blatant abuse of power by Mswati and his handpicked government.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN]