By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MBABANE, Swaziland– In the midst of pro-democracy uprisings, Swaziland’s King Mswati II and his administration are taking a strict stance against the protesters and adopting an isolationist policy.  Despite attempted intervention from several African groups and international organizations, Mswati’s officials maintain the problem is ‘outsiders’ and not the need for reform.  Said Mswati’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lutfo Dlamini, “We have been threatened as a nation by outsiders that there will be an uprising. . .We needed to guarantee the safety of all Swazis[.]”

This statement was made on Wednesday in what has proven to be a tumultuous week for the small, land-locked country.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, police fired upon crowds of thousands with tear gas and water cannons.  Police entered the crowd and started beating the protesters with batons, arresting many.  The protesters are calling for reform from the government, namely in the areas of civil service pay and political parties.  Mswati has banned political parties, effectively eliminating the possibility of a multi-party democratic system in Swaziland.  Additionally, civil servant pay has been cut drastically.  The protesters are demanding that political parties be made legal again and the pay cuts be reversed.

Swaziland’s government has maintained throughout the unrest that this is the result of foreign agitators coming into the country to promote violence and treason.  However, the police and security forces seem to be targeting Swazi’s in crackdowns on unions.  On Wednesday, a unions’ headquarters was raided by police where approximately 300 teachers were gathered for a rally.  The forces again used tear gas and water cannons to disperse everyone from the meeting.

These actions have prompted the African National Congress (ANC) to speak out.  ANC Deputy of International Relations, Ebrahim Ebrahim, said on Thursday,

We call on the government of Swaziland to work towards the normalisation of the political environment by unbanning opposition political parties, releasing political activists and engaging in a meaningful dialogue with opposition political and trade union leaders to find a collective solution to the socio-economic situation faced by that country. . .The use of security forces to quell any form of political dissent and failure to address legitimate concerns of citizens can only lead to the worsening of relations between government and civilians, something that does not augur well for economic stability.

This is a strong statement from the ANC, which until Thursday had remained silent, allowing its partner, the trade union group Cosatu to work with the pro-democracy protesters.  Some hope this will change the king’s view of South Africa and the ANC.  Cosatu’s deputy international secretary, Zanele Mathebula, said up until Thursday, the ANC’s silence has given Swaziland’s government a reason to blame Cosatu.  “[The Swazi government] cannot understand how South Africa can allow Cosatu to be so vocal. They blame us- as if we are forcing the Swazi people to revolt against the king.”

Underlying the unrest are the stark realities of economic inequality in Swaziland.  King Mswati is Africa’s last absolute monarch and after years of funneling the country’s profits into private royal accounts, Mswati has become the 15th richest monarch in the world, with an estimated personal fortune of $200 million.  However, a majority of Swazi’s live in poverty, subsisting on less than $1 a day.  Life expectancy in the country is 32 years, a statistic supported by the HIV infection rate of 33 percent, the highest in the world.  Almost half the country is unemployed and up to a quarter of Swazi’s rely on food aid and donations for their survival.  Many believe the protests are the natural consequence of this growing gap between the wealthy royalty and the impoverished Swazis.  Said Deprose Muchena, acting Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), “The Swazi government has shown its true colors to the world – it is repressive and authoritarian and only interested in its own survival.”

For more information, please see;

Mail & Guardian– Time For Change in Swaziland, ANC Says– 15 April, 2011

NYT– Police Fight Teachers as Unrest Begins to Mount– 13 April, 2011

Christian Science Monitor– In Swaziland, Heavy Crackdown Beats Back Egypt Inspired Protests– 14 April, 2011