On the 16 of September 2013 at 12 pm, Mr Fungayi Mabhunu and Miss Nqobile Tsabedze represented Swaziland vigil UK at the Chatham house discussing about Swaziland and the book (project) written by Christopher Vandome,Alex Vines and Markus Weimer titled Swaziland: Southern Africa’s forgotten crisis.Represantatives from Commonwealth,Amnesty International,Swazilang programme manager,SADC and a lot more attended. They talked about why should the international community care. How the Swaziland’s development trajectory is worrying. How the goverment has made little progress in boosting the economy’s resilence to fiscal shocks. They talked about the parliamentary elections taking place on the 20^th September 2013 that they are unlikely to have much much tangible impact in the short term. Particularly as most decisions are made by appointed officials rather than elected represantatives. They also talked about commomwealth and SADC monitoring the elections on the 20 September and to see the monarchial democracy the King Mswati had a vision about. They said they were expecting a new goverment, new prime minister and a reformed Swaziland. Our comments are inline with what has been said by the Swaziland democratic campaign, when they say “The [Chatham House] report on Swaziland is chronically deficient. It places all possibilities for change on the worsening economic situation, and the unsustainable route being followed by the Royal Elite,” says the Swaziland Democracy Campaign. “It argues that it will be impending financial ruin and not peoples’ power that will eventually bring King Mswati to his senses.”

Their only purpose is to manipulate the situation in favour of modern day imperial interests,” said The Communist Party of Swaziland’s General Secretary, Kenneth Kunene. “If Chatham House was really worried about democracy in Swaziland, why doesn’t it come out in support of the pro-democracy movement. Not even the IMF thinks that the crisis has compelled to bring Mswati any nearer to giving up power”.

And even if Chatham House is not being intentionally neo-imperialist in its recommendations, they are at the very least being “neutral”. And in countries such as Swaziland, neutrality is in effect siding with the status quo of Mswati’s absolute rule.

By Miss Nqobile Tsabedze

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Published: 18 October 2013

DWESHU MAKHANYA PRESENTS THE PEOPLES CHARTER TO THE SWAZILAND HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON UK

On the 5th September 2013 at 11:00am UK time the Swaziland Vigil Uk representative DWESHU MAKHANYA put aside the treaths from Mswati regime and walked in the Swaziland High Commission in London to present the Peoples Charter and ask a few questions about the obnoxiuos regime. Dweshu was accompanied by ACTSA representated by Mark Beacon and a representatiove from the NUS. We are glad that the embassy staff recieved the Peoples charter and took on board our many questions about the regime, although they did not answer most of questions, what we know for sure is that they will relay them back to Swaziland.

On behalf of the Swaziland Vigil will would like to thank Dweshu for being brave because we know that Swaziland goverment will record the names of those who challenge the King. Dweshu Makhanya said he was willing to put his life on line for the suffering Swazi people who want to see change in Swaziland, in terms of Democracy, Human rights abuses and an end to TINKUNDLA system of governace.

MSWATI SPEAKS TO GOD!!!!

From the reports that are comming from Swaziland that Mswati spoke to God here is our response from Our coordinator Fungayi Mabhunu On the BBC RADIO wORLD SERVICE

· I’m interested to hear that the king has been visited by God. He badly needed a visit. but I am surprised they talked about the Swazi constitution, though God does move in mysterious ways.

· The king’s vision of ‘a marriage between the monarch and the ballot box’ is rather odd. His talk of a ‘monarchial democracy’ would make sense if he meant a constitutional monarchy such as in the UK. Swazis I am sure would be very happy with this.

· But I doubt he means this as no political parties are allowed in Swaziland making the current elections a joke.

· Public protests are prohibited.

· Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV in the world but it is so badly run that those receiving treatment are reduced to eating dung because you have to have something in your stomach with the medication.

· The king has nevertheless seen fit to buy a jet so that he can fly off around the world while his people starve.

· I hear he recently kicked out his 12^th wife. He chooses a new one regularly from girls called together to dance in front of him bare-breasted.

· Mswati could be compared to Henry VIII. Mswati went to a public school in England but he had more wives than Henry and rather less brains.

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Published: 12 September 2013