‘No retreat’ – ANC calls for democratisation in eSwatini

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula broke his party and the country’s tradition by criticising the lack of democracy in neighbouring eSwatini and suggested that national dialogue is needed to ensure democratisation in the country.

“The democratisation process in eSwatini remains an important goal for our region. We shall spare no effort to ensure that there is genuine inclusive national dialogue so that the people of eSwatini can decide their future and form of government,” he said.

“The ANC will never tire nor retreat for calling for democratisation in eSwatini.”

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Mbalula appeared to have broken with ANC and government tradition to avoid criticising human rights violations in neighbouring countries.

eSwatini activists representing the opposition People’s United Democratic Movement who attended the dialogue, criticised Southern African Development Community leaders for ignoring the plight of eSwatini people who faced regular oppression, including jailing and killing.

Free political activity in eSwatini

Earlier, South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Solly Mapaila condemned the eSwatini government for not allowing free political activity in the country.

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eSwatini’s late King Sobhuza II, father of the current King Mswati III, banned all political parties in 1973 and introduced the Thinkhudla system run by himself and the royal family. eSwatini was the only country in Africa with an absolute monarchy where everything, including the state, was run by the royal family.

Closing the Brics Political Parties Plus Dialogue at Ekurhuleni this week, Mbalula called for the freeing of the people of Palestine and Western Sahara. He said their rights to freedom, nationhood and self-determination remained as critical to global humanity as the global anti-apartheid struggle.

“All progressive parties and governments must therefore not tire to work for the freedom of the people of Palestine and Western Sahara,” Mbalula said.

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The dialogue will not repeat the mistakes of slavery, colonialism, patriarchy and imperialism that sought to divide humanity and rule the world in the basis of oppression, discrimination, racism, injustice and inequality.

Sanctions

Therefore the dialogue reaffirmed its opposition to unilateralism, inequality and condemned economic sanctions and economic blockades and waging of wars to effect global control. He called for the removal of the “unjust sanctions against Cuba, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, Nicaragua and imposed by the Western countries against them”.

Cuba had been under economic blockaded by the United States after its revolutionary president Fidel Castro announced his country would align with the Soviet Union. The embargo was never removed even after the Soviet Union disbanded despite international calls for the sanctions to be lifted.

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Mapaila raised the plight of the people of Türkiye and Kurdish people who were continuously being harassed by Turkish authorities.

He cited the case of Turkish national, Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdish Workers’ Party who was abducted from the Kenyan Airport by Turkish authorities assisted the Central Intelligence Agency and the Israeli intelligence.

Mapaila said the 53 million stateless Kurdish people faced continuous oppression by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. They were forced into exile, jailed and the Kurdish people were being arrested for merely speaking their own language or practising their culture.

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“Yet revolutionary organisations and governments continue to be in good terms with a country that suppresses its people’s own language,” Mapaila said.

“The SACP remains complete in solidarity with Kurdish people and we call on the Turkish government to unconditionally release their leader.”