Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: As Seen Through The Pages of Swazi Media Commentary

Swaziland: Striving for freedom
As seen through the pages of Swazi Media Commentary

Volume 8: August 2013
INTRODUCTION
The creditability of the elections in Swaziland has hit rock bottom. August saw both the nominations for and the primary elections themselves take place. There was chaos from the start, with complaints that people who legitimately should be allowed to take part in the elections excluded. One woman was barred from having her name put forward because she wore jeans to the nomination centre. The High Court had to overturn that decision. Many people who wanted to stand were excluded because they were unable to catch the presiding officers eye during the outdated nomination procedure. The chaos continued after nomination and before the primary election. The constitution states no electioneering is allowed but the law was regularly broken. After the election itself complaints rolled into the offices of the Elections and Boundaries Commission, the group tasked with organising the election. Allegations of ballot box tampering, buying of votes, bribery and incompetence abound, with the law courts expected to be busy in the coming weeks before the final secondary elections take place on 20 September. Swazi Media Commentary captured much of the chaos and presents a digest of the happenings in August 2013. Apart from the elections, human rights issues were in the foreground, especially as they impacted on gay men, school children and the disabled. While all this was happening a gaggle of some of King Mswatis 13 wives returned from a multi-million dollar holiday to Australia and the Pacific. Swazi Media Commentary has no physical base and is completely independent of any political faction and receives no income from any individual or organisation. People who contribute ideas or write for it do so as volunteers and receive no payment. Swazi Media Commentary is published online updated most days bringing information, comment and analysis. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 1, Jan 2013, is available free of charge here. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 2, Feb 2013, is available free of charge here. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 3, March 2013, is available free of charge here. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 4, April 2013, is available free of charge here. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 5, May 2013, is available free of charge here. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 6, June 2013, is available free of charge here. Swaziland: Striving For Freedom: Volume 7, July 2013, is available free of charge here.
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CONTENTS
1 2 3 4 5
Election Human Rights Global Week of Action Politics Royal Family
3 29 34 36 39
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1. ELECTION
Swazi king talks up bogus election 3 August 2013 King Mswati III may have misled his subjects when he told them the number of people registering to vote in Swaziland's election this year was the highest ever. Although more than 411,084 people out of an eligible 600,000 registered to vote at the election due to start later this month (August 2013), it represented only 68.5 per cent of those entitled to vote. At the last election in 2008, the percentage of eligible voters who registered was 87.6 percent. The king, who is sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, was talking up the election when he dissolved the national parliament on Friday (2 August 2013). He had summoned his subjects to the Cattle Byre at Ludzidzini for sibaya, a peoples parliament, which he claims is the supreme policy making body in Swaziland. He told the crowd, We have heard that registration figures are very high this time around as most Swazis want to participate in the elections. This year, when compared to other years, has the highest registration figures. In 2008, the number of people registered to vote was 350,778 from a possible 400,000. When the election came in 2008 only 189,559 people actually voted: 47.4 percent of the 400,000 eligible. The election is shrouded in controversy as the parliament it selects has no power as this is vested in the king. The election is only to select 55 members of the House of Assembly. A further 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the Senate House are elected by the people. Of its 30 members, 20 are chosen by the king and 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly. Political parties are banned from participating in the election. King Mswati also told the crowd at sibaya, estimated bySwazi media to number close to10,000 people, Your being here is also a sign of respect. I know you are here because you want to attend so that you hear what the King has to say to you. However, he did not reveal that at the last sibaya, held in August 2012 at which people criticised the kings appointed government and called for it to be sacked, attendance was 12,000, according to media reports at the time. The first round of the election is on 24 August and the main election is on 20 September 2013.
Woman in pants banned from election 6 August 2013 A Swazi woman was banned from being nominated to stand as a member of parliament because she was wearing trousers at the nomination centre.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom And, a second woman at a different chiefdom was denied the chance to nominate a candidate for the same reason. Nomination centres opened cross the kingdom last weekend (3 4 August 2013) as Swaziland prepared for the first round of the national election later this month. Mana Mavimbela, aged 18, was disqualified from putting her name forward for parliament at Lubulini because she wore a pair of trousers at the Royal Kraal where nominations took place. The presiding officer Lindiwe Sukati refused to allow her to stand because Mavimbela was wearing a pair of black jean trousers and a golf T- shirt. Human Rights lawyer Mandla Mkhwanazi told the Times of Swaziland newspaper the presiding officer had infringed upon Mavimbelas rights under the Swaziland Constitution which did not discriminate against an individual on the basis of how they dressed. Meanwhile, Fakazile Luhlanga of Ndvwabangeni in the Mhlangatane constituency was also not allowed permission to nominate a candidate as she was wearing cargo pants. Local media reported Luhlanga saying she was told that she was dressed like a man and would be a bad influence to the community members as they would want to emulate her. Some chiefs across Swaziland imposed the ban on women wearing trousers, shorts or miniskirts at nomination centres. Chief Petros Dvuba of Mpolonjeni in Mbabane, the kingdoms capital, said people who would be going to the nominations should dress properly and show respect as it was King Mswati IIIs exercise. He told local media, Even those who have relaxed hair should cover their heads when going to that place. The nominations were for the primary election in Swaziland. This is where each chiefdom nominates candidates to represent it in the main, or secondary election that will be held in September. The election in Swaziland is mired in controversy. All political parties are banned from taking part and the House of Assembly that is elected has no power as this is invested in King Mswati, who rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. The election is only to select 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the Senate House are elected by the people. Of its 30 members, 20 are chosen by the king and 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly. Vote for widow: get evicted 6 August 2013 A chiefs headman in Swaziland threatened that people would be banished from their homes if they nominated a widow for the forthcoming election.
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It happened in Ludzibini, which is ruled by Chief Magudvulela, who is a former Swazi Senator. Dumisani Dlamini the Chiefdom Headman warned voters against voting for Jennifer du Pont. This was during nominations for the primary election that will be held in Swaziland later this month (August 2013). The Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in Swaziland, reported Dlamini threatened voters and warned that anyone who nominated du Pont would be evicted from the area. The newspaper reported, He warned that those who would nominate her should be prepared to relocate to areas as distant as five chiefdoms away. Her sin was that she attended the nominations only a few months after her husband died. He said she should still be mourning her husband. The newspaper reported du Pont did not wear standard black mourning gowns and was dressed in a blue wrap-around dress known as sidvwashi. Enough people in the chiefdom defied Dlamini and Ms du Pont was duly nominated. Elsewhere during the nomination held last weekend (3-4 August 2013), an 18-year-old woman was denied the chance to be nominated to stand for parliament because she attended the nomination centre dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. In another case a woman was not allowed to nominate a candidate because she was wearing cargo pants. The nominations were for the primary election in Swaziland. This is where each chi efdom nominates candidates to represent it in the main, or secondary election that will be held in September. The election in Swaziland is mired in controversy. All political parties are banned from taking part and the House of Assembly that is elected has no power as this is invested in King Mswati, who rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch.
Chaos at election nominations 7 August 2013 The nominations process to select candidates for the forthcoming parliamentary election in Swaziland descended into chaos in parts of the kingdom. Some people boycotted the process in protest that venues selected for the nominations were unsuitable. Elsewhere equipment failures delayed the start of nomination. About 400 residents of Ebutfongweni in the Manzini region under Kukhanyeni Inkhundla said they would not participate in the nominations process because it was being conducted at Nkiliji under Chief Mkhumbi Dlamini.
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They said they did not pay allegiance to Chief Mkhumbi as their area was at Mbekelweni, under Chief Nkhosini. Local media reported that the residents, all of whom are registered voters, insisted that they would not participate in the process under Nkiliji after Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials did not show up at Ebutfongweni. They expected officers from the commission to conduct the nominations in the area as they had done so in the past. The Times Sunday,an independent newspaper, reported, These are the same residents who recently took Chief Mkhumbi to court during the elections registration process. They were against registering under the Nkiliji Chiefdom and High Court Judge Mumcy Dlamini ruled that they should be allowed to register in a place of their choice as this was their constitutional right. Meanwhile, a change of a nomination centre at the last moment resulted in more than 50 residents of Siweni boycotting the nominations process. Siweni is a tiny village near Mbadlane which falls under the Malindza chiefdom. The voters were angry after being told by election officers that nominations had been moved to Othandweni Primary School and not Siweni Care Point, as earlier announced. In Mzimnene, residents were unable to make nominations because they had not been told by the EBC where they should go. The same thing happened in June when people were unable to register to vote in the forthcoming election. The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, reported the problem was that when government drew up the 55 constituencies in Swaziland, the Mzimnene area was divided into two and for a long time, people did not know specifically which chief they were expected to pay allegiance to. Residents now say they will report the EBC to the king. Elsewhere, equipment failures were blamed for the late opening of nomination centres across the Lubombo region. Missing church keys marred the nomination process at Moneni as officials from the EBC were forced to remain in their vehicles with the voting kit, as the Free Evangelical Assemblies Church remained closed. Church leaders said they were notified at very short notice that the church was to be used as a nomination centre. The problems at the nominations over the past weekend (3-4 August 2013) followed chaos during the registration process that took place in June. Then, equipment failures and untrained staff were blamed for delays in getting people registered. The registration process had to be extended by a week. The nominations took place at Imiphakatsi (chiefdoms) where candidates were chosen to stand in primary elections to take place on 24 August. At the primary one candidate will be
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom elected to represent the chiefdom in the secondary election on 20 September where o ne person from the Inkhundla (constituency) will be elected to the House of Assembly. The election in Swaziland is controversial because the parliament that is elected has no power, as this rests with King Mswati, who rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Political parties are barred from taking part in the election. The election is only to select 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the Senate House are elected by the people. Of its 30 members, 20 are chosen by the king and 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly.
Swazi election credibility damaged 7 August 2013 The credibility of the election nomination process in Swaziland has been damaged as it emerged that many people who wanted to nominate candidates were prevented from doing so. And, separately it has been reported that some people were nominated against the election rules. Also, cabinet ministers in the outgoing government who were nominated may not be eligible to stand, according to the Swazi Constitution. Nominations took place across Swaziland at the weekend (3-4 August 2013) to choose candidates for the primary elections that will take place in chiefdoms on 24 August. But, the Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported that people who wanted to nominate candidates could not so because they failed to get the attention of the electoral officer. The process used required people to gather at a meeting place, often a kraal, and wait to be called by an electoral officer to make their nomination. At many places crowds were large and not everyone who wanted to make a nomination was spotted by the electoral officer. Burns Dlamini, a writer for the Times, reported he personally was prevented from nominating. He wrote, In my case I had my hand up for a better part of the two hours while the community battled with nominating MPs and I ended up giving up. He added, I mean, when you have a hundred people with their hands up to nominate and you end up with only 11 nominations, how fair and representative is that? He went on, For starters, the failure by election officers to give everyone proposing a nomination a chance to nominate was, in my view, fatal and to me that rendered the whole thing a travesty and a farce to say the least. I mean, how fair and transparent is the process after all? He said similar problems happened at nomination centres across Swaziland.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom He wrote, Again the method used by the election officers to pick nominators at random is testimony that the whole nomination process is a game of chance; and the nominees have to be double-lucky to be nominated, first by having the nominated person lucky to be picked and then have those supporting the nomination. Elsewhere, Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Chairman Chief Gija Dlamini said nominated candidates who did not have consent letters from their employers should have been disqualified. Speaking on state-controlled radio, he said it was expected that public servants should have brought with them the letters, which in turn should have been read in front of all the voters. There is confusion over the status of nine cabinet ministers who were nominated at the weekend. The Times reported they could be disqualified from taking part in the election because they hold public office and this is not allowed under the Constitution. The confusion is made worse because it is uncertain whether technically the nine are still cabinet ministers. Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini told the newspaper that ministers were not supposed to stand for nomination if they were still in office as the nine maintained. Their nomination was irregular because a Cabinet office is a public office. If anyone can challenge their nomination in court they (challenger) can be successful, the Times reported him saying. He added, That is why even police officers and other me mbers of the security forces as well as any government employee have to resign or apply for leave of absence in order to stand for the elections because they are in public office. They (ministers) ought to have also resigned from office so as to be eligible to stand. Some people boycotted the election nomination completely in protest that venues selected for the nominations were unsuitable. Elsewhere equipment failures delayed the start of nomination. The nominations are the first stage of the controversial election for members of the House of Assembly. Political parties are barred from taking part in the election and the parliament that is elected has no power as this rests with King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as subSaharan Africas last absolute monarch. The election is only to select 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the Senate House are elected by the people. Of its 30 members, 20 are chosen by the king and 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly.
Police force election cover-up 8 August 2013 The woman who was barred from being nominated as a candidate in Swazilands forthcoming election because she wore trousers at the nomination centre says police forced
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom her to lie in a statement about the matter. Mana Mavimbela, aged 18, said three police officers ordered her to write a statement in which she was made to lie that she did not intend to stand for nomination. The police officers ordered her to say that she had been joking that she wanted to stand for election as Member of Parliament for Lubulini. She was disqualified on Sunday (4 August 2013) during the nomination stage at Lusabeni Chiefdom by the Presiding Officer Lindiwe Sukati for being dressed improperly. On Monday Mavimbela got a visit by police officers from the Lubulini Police Station. Mavimbela told the Times of Swaziland she was then ordered to relate the events of the previous day and how she came to be disqualified. The officer then forced me to record the statement, not ing that I did not intend to stand for the elections but only meant it as a joke, the newspaper reported her saying. Now, Mavimbela has called for the nominations to be reopened so she can put her name forward.
Swazi law bans election campaigning Monday, 12 August 2013 Nominations have been received for the primary elections in Swaziland, but candidates are banned by law from campaigning for votes. This is the bizarre situation in the kingdom, which King Mswati III, who rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, says has a unique democracy. The nominations took place at Imiphakatsi (chiefdoms) where candidates were chosen to compete against one another in primary elections to take place on 24 August 2013. The winners become their chiefdoms candidate in the secondary elections on 20 September, where they compete against each other at the Inkhundla (constituency) level to be elected to the House of Assembly. Political parties are banned from taking part in the election: they are also in effect banned completely in Swaziland and no discussion on political policy is encouraged. All groups critical of the present political system in Swaziland have been branded terrorists under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. According to the Swazi Constitution campaigning can only begin once the primary elections are over. This means that Swazi people are being asked to elect people at the primary without knowing what they stand for and what they will do if eventually elected to parliament. This makes the primary no better than a beauty competition, where the best you can hope to do is to elect the person you most like the look of.
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What reasoning there is behind the law to deny people the right to hear their candidates speak and question them on why they should be elected is lost in history. One theory is that the candidates are members of the local community and people would already know who they are and what they think. If this theory is true it puts the electorate on the level of schoolchildren electing their class captain. A more sinister view is that by not allowing discussion, the chiefs, who are the local representatives of the king, are able to influence their subjects to vote for the chiefs choice. Chiefs have many powers over their subjects and those who disobey might find themselves banished from their homes or denied international food aid when it is distributed. Campaigning begins once the primary elections are over, but because political parties are banned it is impossible for voters to elect a government. Instead, they choose people on individual merit. And, it is this that King Mswati and those who benefit from his feudal regime say makes Swazilands democracy unique. Members of parliament have no power as this rests with King Mswati, so candidates cannot in all honesty promise their electorates that they will achieve anything for them if elected. However, that does not stop them trying and in the run up to polling day, we should expect to hear candidates claiming they will bring development to their areas. This usually refers to basic amenities such as piped water and electricity. If the last election in 2008 is any guide, candidates will also use food, beer, blankets and cash to bribe people for their vote. Once the secondary election is over King Mswati will appoint his government without reference to the peoples will and he will determine its policies. In 2008 he appointed Barnabas Dlamini Prime Minister, even though he was never elected by the Swazi people. The secondary elections are for 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the 30-strong Swaziland Senate are elected by the people: the king appoints 20 members and the other 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly. Candidates say election sabotaged 13 August 2013 Swazilands national election has been further undermined with the revelation that some names of nominated individuals have been left off the official list of candidates. This follows news that some people who wanted to be nominated were denied the chance to do so by electoral officers. Some candidates are claiming that the nomination lists were sabotaged to deliberately stop them taking part in the election.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom The problem was discovered after the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) released the official list of candidates for the kingdoms primary election. This followed nominations at chiefdoms over the weekend of 3-4 August 2013. Some of the aggrieved candidates complained to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdoms only independent daily newspaper. It reported they were outraged after they either did not appear or their names were wrongly spelt on the EBC list of nominations. The Times said, Some went as far as suspecting sabotage by their competitors. It added, One of the aspiring MPs said he was the first candidate to be nominated at his umphakatsi [chiefdom] and he was outraged when his name did not appear on the list of nominees. He said he was confused as candidates who were nominated after him were included on the list. Pointing to the sensitive nature of the elections, he claimed he was being sabotaged. The EBC said it would make corrections. Last week it was revealed that that people who wanted to nominate candidates were prevented from doing so because electoral officers would not allow it. And, separately it has been reported that some public servants were nominated against the election rules because they did not have permission letters from their employers. Some people boycotted the election nomination completely in protest that venues selected for the nominations were unsuitable. Elsewhere equipment failures delayed the start of nomination. The nominations are the first stage of the controversial election for members of the House of Assembly. Political parties are barred from taking part in the election and the parliament that is elected has no power as this rests with King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. The election is only to select 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the Senate House are elected by the people. Of its 30 members, 20 are chosen by the king and 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly.
Election law broken across kingdom 13 August 2013 The law banning candidates from campaigning in the forthcoming primary election is being broken across Swaziland. And, police are trying to clamp down on public gatherings, social parties and food distributions.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom A meeting aimed at sensitising people to the need to elect more women to parliament was abandoned after a warning from the Swazi Elections and Boundaries Commission. Candidates for the primary election to be held on 24 August 2013 were chosen nearly two weeks ago, but they are forbidden by law from campaigning for votes. Allegedly illegal activities reported over the past few days include the distribution of water, clothes and food at a church gathering at Nhlambeni. Elsewhere, residents from Ngwemphisi reported former MPVeli Shongwe for allegedly campaigning in a community meeting. He is alleged to have promised residents that he would give them free electricity and build boreholes and a massive water tank that would service the area and neighbouring communities. Police were called at Nhlambeni when a South African organisation donated 100 bags of rice to residents. The donation was suspected by some residents to be a campaign strategy by former Nhlambeni MP Frans Dlamini. In a separate incident, police stopped a party for Health Minister Benedict Xaba to campaign for election as MP for Shiselweni II Inkhundla. The function at Edwaleni High School had attracted about 2,000 residents who were to enjoy performances by award winning gospel group Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors. Rival candidates complained to police that Xaba was about to launch his election campaign. A vote for a woman campaign that was to be held at Ntondozi had to be cancelled amid fears that those participating in it could be arrested. The meeting was to mobilise women from Ntondozi to vote for those women who had entered the elections race so that they would have a female member of parliament. It was called off on the advice of the Elections and Boundaries Commission because it infringed election law. The rash of cases has highlighted an absurdity in the Swaziland elections. Candidates are not allowed to discuss issues with the electorate and cannot be questioned on what they might do if elected to parliament. Campaigning only begins after the primary election is over and before the secondary election on 20 September. The candidates were nominated at Imiphakatsi (chiefdoms) where they were chosen to compete against one another in primary elections. The winners become their chiefdoms candidate in the secondary elections on 20 September, where they compete against each other at the Inkhundla (constituency) level to be elected to the House of Assembly. The elections are widely seen inside and outside Swaziland as irrelevant. Political parties are banned from taking part and the parliament that is elected has no power as this rests with King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. The secondary elections are for 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. None of the 30-strong Swaziland Senate is elected by the people: the king appoints 20 members and the other 10 are elected the House of Assembly.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom New election blunder in Swaziland 14 August 2013 A major blunder by Swazilands Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has meant some people had to nominate candidates in the forthcoming primary election for a second time. The EBC erroneously combined two election districts at the nominations during the weekend of 3-4 August 2013. When the mistake was discovered the EBC ordered the people of Njabulweni, near Lubhuku, in the Dvokodvweni Constituency, to nominate again. The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported that Njabulweni and Malindza were combined for the nominations, although they should have been separate. It reported, A presiding officer told voters [of Njabulweni] to elect at least five people to add to the 13 who were nominated during the nominations process at Malindza Umphakatsi. It said, however, the turnout for the second nomination was not good and only four candidates were nominated. The blunder is the latest in a long line of problems besetting the election. Some people who wanted to nominate candidates were prevented from doing so because electoral officers would not allow it, while some names of those who were nominated were then left off the EBCs official list of candidates. And separately, some public servants were nominated against the election rules because they did not have permission letters from their employers. Some people boycotted the election nomination completely in protest that venues selected for the nominations were unsuitable. Elsewhere equipment failures delayed the start of nominations. The candidates were nominated at Imiphakatsi (chiefdoms) where they were chosen to compete against one another in primary electio ns. Since the nominations were completed, there have been reports from across Swaziland of people illegally campaigning. The law states that there can be no campaigning ahead of the primary elections, which are due on 24 August. The winners at the primaries become their chiefdoms candidate in the secondary electio ns on 20 September, where they compete against each other at the Inkhundla (constituency) level to be elected to the House of Assembly. The elections are widely seen inside and outside Swaziland as irrelevant. Political parties are banned from taking part and the parliament that is elected has no power as this rests with King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom The secondary elections are for 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. None of the 30-strong Swaziland Senate is elected by the people: the king appoints 20 members and the other 10 are elected the House of Assembly. Security forces spy on candidates 14 August 2013 Swazi security forces are monitoring some of the candidates nominated to contest the forthcoming Swaziland national election because they are members of a political party. The Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) reports that some of its members, who were nominated earlier this month (August 2013), are being scrutinised by state security forces. Political parties are banned from taking part in the elections in Swaziland where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. SWADEPA leadership said before the election nominations took place its members would stand for the House of Assembly, but only as individuals. SWADEPA now fears for the safety of those of its members who were nominated. Secretary General Archie Sayed, who is himself standing for election, told local media his party would not disclose publicly the names of its members who were nominated. He said the party had decided to protect its members from any possible harassment by state security forces. We cannot reveal the names of our members until further notice. This is for security reasons. We are being monitored. We have received reports from our members that they are being monitored by state security age nts, he said. SWADEPA is one of two political parties that declared that it would take part in the elections: the other party is Sibahle Sinje Sive Siyinqaba, a pro-Royalist organisation.
Swaziland bans feasts ahead of poll 19 August 2013 In a desperate bid to stop illegal campaigning in the run up to the primary elections in Swaziland, the Elections and Boundaries (EBC) has banned all feasts and parties in the kingdom. All campaigning ahead of the primary election is banned by law in Swaziland, but candidates have been ignoring this. Police have been called to various events to deal with allegations that parties and social gathering were disguise delection events. At a media conference EBC chair Chief Gija Dlamini announced the ban on feasts and parties until the primary election takes place on Saturday (24 August 2013). He said, however, events such as marriages which had long been planned cannot be taken as parties to lure people into voting for individuals and could go ahead.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom The winners at the primaries become their chiefdoms candidate in the secondary elections on 20 September, where they compete against each other at the Inkhundla (constituency) level to be elected to the House of Assembly. The elections are widely seen inside and outside Swaziland as irrelevant. Political parties are banned from taking part and the parliament that is elected has no power as this rests with King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. The secondary elections are for 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. None of the 30-strong Swaziland Senate is elected by the people: the king appoints 20 members and the other 10 are elected the House of Assembly. Kings paper in propaganda overdrive 22 August 2013 The Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, has gone into propaganda overdrive in reporting the current election in the kingdom. On Thursday (22 August 2013), it quoted extensively from a report made by the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) into conduct at the last election held in Swaziland in 2008. According to the Observer, EISA said the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), the body set up by the king to oversee the election process, managed to achieve notable progress despite the lack of time and by comparison to the previous election [in 2003]. EISA did indeed make such an observation, but it also went on to say this, There is much yet to be done, for the Swazi legal and constitutional framework is sorely deficient and Swaziland falls far short of the standards that would have to be met in order for the country to be classed as a democracy. King Mswati rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in the election and opposition groups to the king are branded terrorists under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Democracy advocates have been arrested and charged with sedition. EISA made a scathing critique of the EBC and its relationship to the King. This is what the EISA Election Observer Mission Report 2008 said, and the Observer report omitted. Almost all the stakeholders regarded the members of the EBC as royal appointees. Stakeholders did not regard the EBC as independent and believed that the EBC operated under the instruction of the King. Stakeholders also expressed the view that the EBC was not representative of society as a whole, but was drawn exclusively from government officials or members of the aristocracy. Most believed that the Commissioners do not meet the qualifications laid down in the constitution in Article 90(6): The chairperson, deputy chairperson and the other members of the Commission shall possess the qualifications of a Judge of the superior courts or be
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom persons of high moral character, proven integrity, relevant experience and demonstrable competence in the conduct of public affairs. EISA added, Most stakeholders were of the view that the EBC was lacking in transparency and secretive in its operations. They felt that even information that should indisputably have been in the public domain, such as the election timetable, was given out piecemeal and very late in the day. In its report EISA made several recommendations, and this was its first: Enormous power is concentrated in the hands of the King. The direct active role that the King plays in the political life of Swaziland has polarised the Swazi people. This is in direct conflict with his higher and more crucial role as the living embodiment of the Swazi nation and of its culture: Executive authority is vested in the hands of a hereditary monarch and not in the hands of a democratically elected office-bearer who is answerable to the electorate. The Team recommends that executive power be vested in a Prime Minister who should be answerable to the House of Assembly as the elected representatives of the citizens of Swaziland. One third of the members of Parliament are appointed by and answerable to the King, who is not an elected office-bearer. The Team recommends that the number of executive appointees be drastically reduced and the purpose of the appointments be clearly defined in the Constitution. All such appointments should be made by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister and ratified by the House of Assembly ... The King effectively has the power to veto legislation and Parliament cannot override the veto. The Team recommends that the King have the power to veto legislation only once and that vetoed legislation can then be passed by Parliament in a constitutionally determined process and by a constitutionally determined majority. There is an almost universal perception amongst stakeholders that the King has undue powers in regard to the appointment of the members of the EBC and in its day to day functioning, so that its independence from the executive is brought into question. The Team recommends that alternative models of appointing the EBC be explored, and adapted to Swazilands needs so as to secure the EBCs independence from the execu tive and the perception of independence in the eyes of stakeholders.
Election grinds to a halt 23 August 2013 Thousands of people were reportedly turned back from polling stations in Swaziland as the kingdoms primary elections ground to a halt on Thur sday (22 August 2013). The kingdoms Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) had arranged a special day of voting for its own staff and security forces personnel.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom All the polling stations to serve the whole kingdom were allocated in the city of Manzini, but many had no ballot papers. As many as 7,000 people had been expected to vote. Election officers told waiting crowds to return on Friday. The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported, The voting took place in Manzini where staff from all the regions had been allocated different polling stations. However, only a handful were able to cast their votes. It added, The [EBC] had announced that the voting process would start at 2pm, but hundreds had started flocking in at the stated centres as early as 10am from all over the country. They queued for eight hours and they were told to go back home at about 6pm. First, the process was delayed for over an hour and upon commencement, there was pushing and shoving as the voters tried to get into the voting room in order to return home on time.The delay, some officials alleged, had been caused by the fact that some presiding officers, who were supposed to conduct the voting, had not arrived and there were no ballot papers in quite a number of the stations. The EBC employed about 4 000 Swazis as elections officers, returning officers, presiding officers and clerks. Members of the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force, that employs about 3,000 officers, the Royal Swaziland Police and His Majestys Correctional Services were among those who had been called to vote, the newspaper reported. The EBC later confirmed there was a shortage of voting material at polling stations. The primary election for ordinary Swazi people is due to take place on Saturday (24 August 2013). Election organisers suspect promises 23 August 2013 King Mswatis propaganda machine is still trying to convince the world that the elections taking place in Swaziland, that started this week, are not a shambles. The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by the king, is reporting that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), whose members were chosen by the king, will have no problems conducting the primary elections that take place on Saturday (24 August 2013). This is after thousands of people were unable to vote on Thursday (22 August 2013) because voting officials turned up late and ballot papers were not available. The EBC had decided that its own workers and members of state security forces should vote early because they would be on duty on the day everyone else was expected to vote. Up to 7,000 people were affected by the shambles and the EBC was forced to close polling venues and ask people to return the next day. The newspaper described the election process as well planned.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Now, the Observer has reported categorically that, All material needed to run the primary elections have been delivered to the (EBC) and no delays and disturbances, like those experienced [on Thursday], are expected [on Saturday]. It quoted an EBC source saying, All my polling stations have now been supplied with their ballot papers and we expect to begin as early as 7am, helping voters to cast their votes. It also quoted EBCs Programme Director Richard Phungwayo saying, the delays experienced would not be repeated. He said the nation must be prepared to vote smoothly and without delays. It remains to be seen what happens at polling stations on Saturday, but at least the Swazi people will be able to judge the EBCs performance against the clear promises it has made to them.
Election board defeated in High Court 24 August 2013 The woman who was banned from being nominated to stand in the election in Swaziland because she was wearing pants has won a High Court case to have her name put on the ballot paper. And, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has been forced to postpone the election in her chiefdom at Lubulini to allow her to stand. Mana Mavimbela, aged 18, drew international attention to the undemocratic elections in King Mswatis Swaziland, when she tried to have herself nominated on 4 August 2013 to stand in the primary election for the House of Assembly. The official presiding officer, employed by the EBC, refused to allow her to do so because she was dressed in jeans. Now, High Court Judge Mbutfo Mamba, meeting in emergency session, has ordered the election at Lubulini to be postponed to allow her name to be included in the list of candidates. Mavimbela was not the only woman discriminated against at the nominations because she was wearing pants. Fakazile Luhlanga of Ndvwabangeni in the Mhlangatane constituency was also not allowed permission to nominate a candidate as she was wearing cargo pants. Local media reported Luhlanga saying she was told that she was dressed like a man and would be a bad influence to the community members as they would want to emulate her. Some chiefs across Swaziland imposed the ban on women wearing trousers, shorts or miniskirts at nomination centres. Chief Petros Dvuba of Mpolonjeni in Mbabane, the kingdoms capital, said people who would be going to the nominations should dress properly and show respect as it was King Mswati IIIs exercise. He told local media, Even those who have relaxed hair should cover their heads when going to that place. The primary elections were due to take place on Saturday (24 August 2013). At the primary elections one candidate is elected to represent the chiefdom in the secondary election on 20
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom September where one person from the Inkhundla (constituency) will be elected to the House of Assembly. The election in Swaziland is considered by many to be valueless because the parliament that is elected has no power, as this rests with King Mswati, who rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Political parties are barred from taking part in the election. The election is only to select 55 members of the 65-seat House of Assembly. The other 10 members are appointed by the king. No members of the Senate House are elected by the people. Of its 30 members, 20 are chosen by the king and 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly.
Swazi primary election shambles 25 August 2013 Swazilands primary election was a shambles across the kingdom on Saturday (24 Augus t 2013) as incorrect ballot papers were issued, campaign laws were broken, residents threatened to boycott the poll and police had to get a riot squad escort to remove ballot boxes from one polling station. The election was called off at Bahai and Magwane ni and at Piggs Peak polling stations were allowed to remain open beyond the official closing time. The election for the Mbabane West Constituency at Bahai and Magwaneni polling stations had to be called off after it was discovered the ballot papers had the picture of one candidate appearing twice at the expense of a competitor. When this was discovered Mangwaneni residents demanded that the election be halted. After much confusion the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) which is responsible for organising the election, announced polling would be postponed until the following day (Sunday). But it could not be established if those who had already voted would have to come back and start afresh. At Lubuli, Chief Mshikashika Ngcamphalala had to be brought in to calm angry residents at the Ngcamphalala Royal Kraal. This was after residents complained about the reinstatement of Mana Mavimbela, the18-yearold woman who had been unlawfully banned from having her name put forward as a candidate during the nominations on 4 August because she was wearing jeans at the time. On the eve of the primary election, the Swazi High Court ruled she should be allowed to stand. The EBC then put her name on the ballot paper even though she had not been officially nominated and said the ballot should be postponed by one day. At a public meeting on Saturday residents complained that this meant Mavimbela had been give a free passage in the nominations. Many residents said they would boycott the primary election.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Chief Mshikashika Ngcamphalala confirmed to local media that he had to go and address residents of his area. The Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in Swaziland, reported, The chief said he received a call from officials of the EBC who pleaded with him to go and reason with the people because they were not in agreement with what the EBC officials were saying. The newspaper also reported the elections at Piggs Peak, were full of drama which was accompanied by sporadic fights, accusations of vote-rigging and general confusion. The newspaper reported, The elections were so chaotic such that at some point, it was suggested that the elections should be called off and postponed to today. This happened when the general cut-off time of 5pm as set by the EBC, elapsed. Five pm passed while a queue of over 2 000 people waited outside the polling station for a chance to get inside. The elections continued way into the night, the Times Sunday reported. At Lubuli, residents protested after police took ballot boxes away from the polling station at Lubuli High School once voting had ended. Usually the count takes place at the same place as the polling. State riot police the Operational Support Services Unit escorted a police car away from the polling station to avoid toyi-toyi-ing residents. The Times Sunday also reported that the turnout of voters was very poor in some areas. It said that officers at the Mbabane East Polling station at Woodlands High School, Sidvwashini, were lazing around with no one to attend to. One person the newspaper spoke to called Mfundo Shakura Dlamini, said, It [looks] like many people decided to stay indoors and snub the elections. At Piggs Peak a man was briefly detained by police on suspicion of campaigning for one of the candidates. All campaigning for the primary election is banned by law, but local media reported campaigning was taking place behind the scenes. The Times Sunday reported, The Piggs Peak elections lived up to its billing of being controversial as there were sporadic incidents from rival teams, leading campaigns and manhandling each other but the presence of the police calmed the morning session of the voting process which remained peaceful. The newspaper said some voters appeared intoxicated and others wore t-shirts with campaign slogans. Despite breaking the law, they were not disturbed by the police.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Kings paper cries election treason 26 August 2013 The chief editor of King Mswati IIIs newspaper has accused Swazilands Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) of committing treason for its poor handling of the elections in the kingdom. Writing in the Swazi Observer Mbongeni Mbingo said, It is obvious that the EBC was never ready for this election, and when we consider that they have been in office for so long, it begs the question of what they have been doing all along. In fact, thats being polite. What they have done is treasonable. He added the EBC could not be allowed to ruin the election. The Swazi Observer is in effect owned by the king and widely recognised as a propaganda sheet for the monarchy. The elections in Swaziland have been beset with problems. Registration of voters had to be extended by a week because computers and personnel were not ready; the nomination process for candidates was flawed as many people who wanted to be nominated were ignored by election presiding officers; illegal campaigning took place ahead of the primary elections and at the primaries themselves some polls were called off and others allowed to remain open beyond the official closing time. Mbingo wrote it was tempting to even suggest that the EBC intended for this chaos to happen. What the newspaper failed to report was that King Mswati appointed the EBC in 2008 and at the time many civil society organisations and pro-democracy campaigners criticised the choices because members were inexperienced. The Swazi Constitution demands that the EBC chair should be a qualified judge, but King Mswati appointed one of his half-brothers, Chief Gija Dlamini, who was variously described at the time as an electrician or electrical engineer, to the post, which he still holds today. The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) shortly after the 2008 election reported, Almost all the stakeholders regarded the members of the EBC as royal appointees. Stakeholders did not regard the EBC as independent and believed that the EBC operated under the instruction of the King. Stakeholders also expressed the view that the EBC was not representative of society as a whole, but was drawn exclusively from government officials or members of the aristocracy. Most believed that the Commissioners do not meet the qualifications laid down in the constitution in Article 90(6): The chairperson, deputy chairperson and the other members of the Commission shall possess the qualifications of a Judge of the superior courts or be persons of high moral character, proven integrity, relevant experience and demonstrable competence in the conduct of public affairs. Pro-Royalists in Swaziland have been trying to talk up the election which is due on 20 September 2013, to counter the international communitys view that it is worthless as the parliament that is elected has no powers. The power in Swaziland is in the hands of King
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Mswati who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in the election.
Corruption claims at Swaziland poll 27 August 2013 About 1,000 people in a chiefdom in Swaziland voted at the primary election even though only 300 actually live there. This is one of many allegations being made following the shambles at the election held on Saturday (24 August 2013). It was reported to have happened at Ngonini in Nhlambeni. Residents there have complained to the Elections and Boundaries Commission, the group organising the poll, saying the winning candidate had brought supporters to vote for him from outside the area. Residents said as many as 1,000 people voted, although only 300 lived in the chiefdom. About 400 people who were not known in the chiefdom were allowed to vote there, and were given first preference to vote, the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, reported. There were similar complaints that people from outside the chiefdoms had been allowed to vote from across Swaziland, including at Vuvulane in the Mhlume constituency. The Observer also reported unspecific allegations that some people said they were paid for their votes. Other complaints emerging through social media and newspapers in Swaziland include ballot papers having incorrect names of candidates and voters turning up at polling stations but being denied the chance to vote. It has been revealed that the polling station at Mhlangatane was only open for four hours on Saturday. The Observer reported, Most people felt that the elections were far from being free and fair, arguing that voting process was opened for just four hours while in other stations they were given the full 10 hours or more. It was previously reported that the election was called off at Bahai and Magwaneni and at Piggs Peak polling stations were allowed to remain open beyond the official closing time.
People cannot elect government 27 August 2013 Newspapers in Swaziland seem determined to mislead their readers into believing they are voting for a government in the national election now taking place they are not.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, chooses the government and takes no notice of who is elected by his subjects when doing so. But newspapers are ignoring this reality. This week both the Times of Swaziland and the Swazi Observer, the kingdoms only two daily newspapers, ran articles claiming that the voters who turned out at the primary election on Saturday (24 August 2013) were electing a government. Under the Swazi tinkhundla political system, which is enshrined in the kingdoms constitution, political parties are banned from taking part in the election, so voters are not being given the chance to choose one set of policies over another. Instead, the Swazi people are given a limited choice only to elect individuals to the House of Assembly, who are expected solely to be the representatives of their locality. This means once they arrive in parliament they do not work together to create policy or select cabinet ministers and other members of government. The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) recognised the limitations of tinkhundla. This has [] led to successive Houses of Assembly that are dominated by parochial concerns rather than national ones, it said in a report on the 2008 elections in Swaziland. The people of Swaziland are not allowed to elect a full parliament. Instead, they select 55 members of the House of Assembly. The King appoints another 10 to make the total of 65 members. The people are not allowed to elect any of the 30-member Senate. The king appoints 20 of these and the other 10 are elected by members of the House of Assembly. Once the election is over, the king will choose a prime minister. The present PM Barnabas Dlamini was chosen by the king in 2008 in contravention of the Swazi constitution. It states the PM should be from the Senate, but Dlamini was not. In fact, he has never been elected to any political office. King Mswati will also choose the government ministers. He is not obliged to choose elected members of the House of Assembly. It is generally recognised by observers from democratic countries that the Swazi House of Assembly and Senate are not independent of the king. Parliament simply enacts legislation to satisfy his wishes. If unexpectedly, they make a decision that the king dislikes, he either ignores it, or forces them to reverse it. This happened most memorably in October 2012 when the House of Assembly passed a noconfidence vote in the government by a majority of 42 in favour and six against: more than the three-fifth-majority needed by the constitution to compel the king to sack the government (he has no discretion in the matter). Instead, he chose to ignore the constitution and forced the House to take a revote, which his government won.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) summed up the political system in Swaziland in a 2012 situation report, Tinkhundla elections can essentially be defined as organised certainty, since they reproduce the prevailing po litical status quo in Swaziland. The ruling regime enjoys an unchallenged monopoly over state resources, and elections have increasingly become arenas for competition over patronage and not policy.
More irregularities at Swazi election 28 August 2013 More accusations of bribery and other illegal activities are surfacing in Swaziland following last Saturdays primary election. Police have been informed and complaints made to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), which runs the election. At Nceka, Siphofaneni, it is alleged that winning candidates visited homesteads ahead of the poll to distribute salt and sugar to residents who were told who to vote for. Losing candidates told local media that voters were also transported free of charge from outside the chiefdom to cast their votes. Some people who were not from the area ended up running away and abandoned the voting upon being accosted by the police. They said they raised these concerns with the presiding officer but were ignored. They also reported the irregularities at Siphofaneni Police Station. At Kwaluseni it was reported that 1,000 people were turned back from the polling stations. The former Kwaluseni Member of Parliament Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini said 7,400 people had registered to vote but only 2,700 did so. In a letter of complaint to the EBC, he said voters were frustrated because they were turned back after queuing for about six hours after walking 5 km to the polling stations He also alleged that a relative of one of the winners was using an EBC vehicle to take voters to the polling station. In the letter, Dlamini said nominations were conducted at Kwaluseni Central Primary School whereas during the elections there were two polling stations being Kwaluseni Primary and Mbhikwakhe Primary School. Some voters were turned back from Kwaluseni to vote at Mbikwakhe and some were turned back from Mbikwakhe to vote at Kwaluseni. More than 1,000 people were turned back because gates were closed at 5pm and the presence of OSSU (Operational Support Services Unit) police officers intimidated them, he stated. He said more people wanted to vote but could not. He said the poll should have run over two days. Since the primary election on Saturday (24 August 2013) there have been numerous reports of malpractice.
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About 1,000 people in the chiefdom of Ngonini reportedly voted even though only 300 actually live there. Other complaints include ballot papers having incorrect names of candidates and voters turning up at polling stations but being denied the chance to vote. The election was called off at Bahai and Magwaneni and at Piggs Peak polling stations were allowed to remain open beyond the official closing time.
Election complaints flocking in 28 August 2013 Complaints about malpractice at Swazilands primary election are flocking into the offices of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). EBC Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini confirmed to local media that there were a number of complaints that the commission was receiving. He told the Swazi Observer newspaper that from the day after nominations, a number of people had been flocking to their offices to lodge complaints, which the commission was addressing. One of the latest complaints came from youths at Msunduza, East Mbabane, who delivered a petition complaining that EBC officers had closed polling station gates at 16:50pm, even though the voting process had started late. In a separate case, the Moneni Royal Kraal wrote to the EBC to request the primary election in the chiefdom be held again because some candidates allegedly bribed textile workers to vote for them. They also clam that candidates were illegally campaigning ahead of the election on Saturday (24 August 2013). According to the Times of Swaziland newspaper, They alleged that concerns were raised with the presiding officers and to the police officers who were at the polling station on Saturday during the Primary Elections. It is alleged that they were told that there was nothing wrong. It became obvious to the residents that the presiding officer was not neutral on issues raised by the nominees. The concerns were also raised even before the start of the counting process to the presiding officer, the letter alleged. The EBC has been under fire for its poor organisation of the election. Members of the EBC were appointed by King Mswati III and have been criticised for being too close to the monarchy. The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, accused the EBC of committing treason in their poor handling of the election.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Vote buying at Swazi election 29 August 2013 Textile firms in Swaziland have bee n accused helping to buy votes in the kingdoms primary election. It is alleged at least three three firms in the industrial town of Matsapha transported their workers by bus to the town of Piggs Peak where they were paid E400 (US$38), the equivalent of almost a weeks wages, by a candidate for their votes. The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, reported, Two textile employees have confessed to the Times to have boarded buses from Matsapha to Piggs Peak where they voted. The workers alleged that a registration kit was brought to their firm where they were advised to register to vote in Piggs Peak. Everything was arranged by our supervisor. She told us that one nominee in Piggs Peak has asked for our votes and that in return the candidate would pay us E400 each. Hearing such an offer, we did not hesitate but registered to vote in Piggs Peak. On Satu rday, [the day of the primary election] transport was organised and we were driven to Piggs Peak where we voted. We were each paid E400. This publication has also established that some employees from three textile firms registered to vote in Piggs Peak. Now, losing candidates want the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the courts to have the results nullified and the voting exercise started afresh. The Anti-Corruption Commission has also been informed.
Papers wrong on election success 30 August 2013 Media in Swaziland have demonstrated they will report anything King Mswati says, even when they know he is wrong. The latest example of this happened on Friday (30 August 2013) when they reported the kings views on the primary election that took place last Saturday. This is what the Times of Swaziland, the kingdoms only independent newspaper, reported the king saying, All the processes were free and fair. Yet, elsewhere in the same edition the paper reported a raft of irregularities and illegalities at the election. This is Times managing editor Martin Dlamini, writing in his own newspaper on Friday, A cursory glance at the list of complaints lodged with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) reads like a comedy script. He then listed examples of alleged vote buying, illegal electioneering and so on.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom All week both the Times, and even the Swazi Observer, which is in effect owned by the king, have ran reports from across the kingdom detailing complaints about the election. On Thursday the Times ran a story about votes being bought in the town of Piggs Peak. The EBC, the body that runs the election, has received severe criticism all week from both of Swazilands daily newspapers. The Times also reported on Friday, His Majesty King Mswati III has expressed pleasure at the massive turnout during the first two phases of the elections [the nominations and the primaries]. Actually, the king did not seem to say that: this was the invention of the reporter. What the king actually said (as reported in direct quotes by the same reporter) was, I must say that I have been very pleased with the turnout even from the first round of the elections starting from the registration where people turned out in numbers, thereafter during the first round of the elections which has just been completed, which was also very successful and peaceful. The king being very pleased with the turnout does not equate with expressing pleasure at a massive turnout. In fact, all week the media have been writing about the successful turnout at the primaries, but not one of them has reported the actual figures. About 415,000 people registered to vote: can we be sure that no more than a fraction of that number actually went to the primary poll? King Mswati, rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. When he says something is so, the media report it without question and often follow it up in later editions with comment articles praising the kings wisdom. Sometimes as in the case of the Times report, the journalists get a bit carried away in their efforts to please the king. Observers of the political scene in Swaziland would be well advised to ignore anything the media says about the king.
Ballot box tampering at election 30 August 2013 There were more election irregularities reported on Friday (30 August 2013) in the aftermath of Swazilands primary election with news that a ballot box ha d been tampered with and wrong results had been announced. The tampering happened at Ebenezer where a box was reportedly found with its seal broken and some voting papers missing. Some candidates are calling for a re-run of the election. Six ballot papers were said to be missing. The victorious candidate won by three votes. The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) admitted it had released the wrong names of poll winners at LaMgabhi. The election organisers blamed a typographical error. A similar error was discovered at Dlangeni.
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These are just some of a vast number of irregularities and illegalities reported since the primary election last Saturday. The EBC has confirmed the numerous complaints had been lodged with the commission. In a statement, EBC chair Chief Gija Dlamini said it would have been a miracle if everything had gone smoothly saying such could only be achieved by Jesus.
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2. HUMAN RIGHTS
Community police banish gay men 18 August 2013 Police banished two men from their community in Swaziland because they were gay. The men, one aged 18 and the other 21, moved from the Lubombo region to Mvutshini to stay with the aunt of one of them. Neighbours became suspicious about the relationship between the two men and when confronted they readily agreed they were gay. The aunt then reported them to the community police. The Swazi News, an independent newspaper, reported, A meeting was convened where the boys were called to explain their lifestyle. They confirmed that they were gay and that is when they were ordered to immediately leave the area. The following day the two men left the area. The aunt told the newspaper, I was afraid of being labelled all sorts of names in the area and be accused of harbouring gay people in my house. My other problem was that local men would have ended up quarrelling with their wives and resorted to being gay because of the boys living under my roof. Sicelo Vilane, a member of the community police, told the newspaper the community was increasingly getting worried about growing bad tendencies in the area and, they, together with responsible residents, were on a mission of getting rid of all bad elements. Homosexuality is illegal in Swaziland. In November 2011, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, said Swaziland would not give human rights to gay people, because they did not exist in the kingdom. Gamedze was responding to criticism of Swaziland by a United Nations working group on human rights that said the kingdom should enact equality laws for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. Gamedze also told the United Nations that while consensual same-sex relations were illegal in Swaziland, the Government did not pursue prosecutions. Discrimination against gay and lesbian people in Swaziland is rife and extends to workplaces, the churches and on to the streets. HOOP (House of Our Pride), a support group for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Inter-sex (GLBTI) people, reported to the United Nation in 2011, It is a common scene for GLBTI to be verbally insulted by by-passers in public places. [There is] defamatory name calling and people yelling out to see a GLBTI persons reproductive part are some of the issues facing GLBTI in Swaziland.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Faith houses have been known to discriminate against GLBTI, advocating for the alienation of GLBTI in the family and society, while maintaining that these GLBTI are possessed by demons. HOOP also said GLBTI people were often discriminated against at work and there had been well known cases of this. In one of the first reports of its kind detailing sexual orientation discrimination in Swaziland, HOOP revealed, GLBTI are hugely discriminated against in the community, a s they are not recognized at community meetings and their points are often not minuted at these meetings nor are they allowed to take part in community services. Police often ridiculed GLBTI people if they reported they have been victims of violent crime, HOOP said.
School flogs boys on bare buttocks 19 August 2013 The head teacher at a Catholic school in Swaziland forces boys to lower their trousers so he can beat them on their bare buttocks. This is the latest example of child abuse at schools to emerge from the kingdom where children, girls as well as boys, are regularly flogged, often ritually, as punishment. The latest case happened at Salesian High School, Manzini. Outraged parents have reported head teacher Petross Horton to the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA). One parent of a pupil at the all-boys school told the Times of Swaziland newspaper, My child said the head teacher forced him to lower his trousers and them battered his bare buttocks with a stick so big it was like a plank. Parents have described the bare-bottomed beatings as, indecent harassment and brutality. Horton told the newspaper on rare occasions he had to force boys to lower their trousers so he could punish them on the flesh. He said he had to deal with cases of smoking and absconding of classes. Although corporal punishment of children is legal in Swaziland, there are rules about how it can be administered, which do not include floggings on the bare. Teachers across Swaziland regularly ignore the regulations and abuse schoolchildren. In 2012, Save the Children Swaziland condemned teachers at Lusoti Primary for beating all the children at the school after one pupil made a noise in assembly. In October 2011, the same group told the United Nations Human Rights Periodic Review held in Geneva that corporal punishment in Swazi schools was out of control. It highlighted Mhlatane High School in northern Swaziland where it said pupils were tortured in the name of punishment. It said, Teachers can administer as many strokes [of the cane] as they desire, much against the limit stipulated in the regulations from the Ministry of Education.
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In a separate case, girls at Mpofu High School were flogged by teachers on their bare flesh and if they resisted they were chained down so the beating could continue. The girls reported they received up to 40 strokes at a time. In another case, a 10-year-old girl at kaLanga Nazarene Primary school was blinded for life in her left eye after a splinter from a teachers stick flew and struck it during pun ishment. And she was not the child being punished. She was injured when her teacher was hitting another pupil, with a stick which broke. Children at Emtfonjeni High School were whipped with up to 10 strokes of a stick, because their school fees have not been paid. A majority of the pupils at the school are orphaned and depend on government to pay for their fees. A pupil in Swaziland was thrashed so hard that he later collapsed unconscious and had to be rushed to a clinic. Six pupils at Mafucula High school were thrashed with 20 strokes of a small log because they were singing in class. It was reported that the boy who became unconscious was not one of those misbehaving, but he was flogged nonetheless. The principal at Elangeni High, even publicly flogs adults who date pupils at his school. The men are forced to attend in front of the entire school, lie down on a bench and receive a whipping. The girls are also flogged.
UK supports jailed Swazi activist 20 August 2013 Students in the UK are to pay the university fees of Swaziland democracy campaigner Maxwell Dlamini after he was stopped from going to school because of his political beliefs. Maxwell is the former leader of the Swaziland National Union of Students who was arrested and charged with possessing explosives at a democracy rally in 2011 and sedition after trying to organise a rally in April 2013 to oppose Swazilands non-democratic election. He was released from jail, but on stringent bail conditions pending trial, after a global campaign to free him. He later reported he had been beaten while in jail. The Swazi Government withdrew his scholarship to study at the University of Swaziland as punishment for his political activities. Political parties are unable to operate in Swaziland where King Mswati III rules as subSaharan Africas last absolute monarch. All opposition groups are banned as terrorists under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Now, Dom Anderson, NUS Vice President (Society and Citizenship), has announced the UK National Union of Students will pay Dlaminis school fees for the next term. Dlamini had addressed the NUS conference in the UK earlier this year about the lack of democracy in Swaziland and the pressure student activists face.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Anderson said in a statement, Students across the UK mobilized; Facebook profile pictures were replaced by the face of Maxwell for our campaigns call to Free Maxwell. MPs up and down the country received letters and emails from concerned students showing solidarity and demanding justice for Maxwell. At NUS we received unprecedented levels of support. It was wonderful to see students united against oppression being faced by one of our own, it was an action that followed in the tradition of global justice campaigning that NUS owes its history to. Maxwell told the UK NUS, My release on bail was not just the benevolence of the undemocratic government but it was the tireless and relentless work of the UK NUS and all those who were involved in the campaign for my unconditional release. The pressure they placed on government and profiling the case as wide as p ossible really exposed the kind of government that suppresses and repressed dissent and peace loving citizens. I was not going to be released if it wasnt for the wonderful work of the campaign initiators. I am currently out on bail, I have not yet been allocated a court date to go and appear in court for the case. It is usual in Swaziland that people are placed on indefinite bail especially on political cases because government usually dont have a case against the said accused they are placed on indefinite bail. We however are doing everything possible with my lawyer to call for a speedy and fair trial so that the truth on the matter can be exposed to all. Anderson said, Swaziland is a really harsh country to be a student activist. Those who support democracy and rights can expect to face intimidation and harassment from the regime at the very least, in the case of Maxwell, they can face a great deal worse. Disabled people treated like animals 20 August 2013 Disabled people in Swaziland have asked traditional authorities in the kingdom to remember that they are human beings too. This was said at a meeting of the Association for People Living with Disabilities in the Ngcamphalala Chiefdom of Swaziland. The meeting which attracted 92 people with disabilities explored the challenges they faced in the area. In particular they were concerned that a local development by Swaziland Water Agricultural Development Enterprise (SWADE) which empowered people through agricultural schemes such as growing sugar cane had excluded them. Sifiso Nhleko, chair of the local Association for People Living with Disabilities, group told local media, The chiefdoms inner council has let us down as they have done nothing to
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom include us in the development yet they know that we exist. They have not approved our involvement in the development. He added, We are also human beings and deserve to be included in development. People without disabilities treat us as if we are animals and government and development agencies do not take us into consideration when implementing development. The experiences of the disabled people in Ngcamphalala are common in Swaziland, where they are marginalised by traditions and superstitions. A report published by SINTEF Technology and Society, Global Health and Welfare in 2011 that studied living conditions among people with disabilities in Swaziland, found, There is a general belief that those who have a disability are bewitched or inflicted by bad spirits. Many believe that being around people with disabilities can bring b ad luck. As a result, many people with disabilities are hidden in their homesteads and are not given an opportunity to participate and contribute to society. The report was the result of an extensive study in the kingdom in 2009 and 2010. It also found that people with disabilities had been abandoned by the Swazi Government. The report stated, The absence of any comprehensive laws and policies to address people with disabilities access to equal opportunities reflect a lack of political will and a failu re to recognize disability as a human right issue contributes to the devaluing and dehumanising of people with disabilities. People with disabilities have the same rights as able-bodied people and they are entitled to enjoy all citizenry rights. It was upbeat about the contributions people with disabilities could make to Swaziland. People with disabilities tend to be more open minded, flexible and less constrained by the negative aspects of tradition. They have eagerness and ability to learn; they are less afraid of technological and social change ad adjustment; they have an instinct for social responsibility, and if appropriately applied to, they have energy ready to be applied to the development objectives of Swaziland.
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3. GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION

Mass action for democracy planned 11 August 2013 Organisers of a march for democracy in Swaziland say they expect 10,000 people to take part. Marchers hope to deliver petitions to various government ministries calling for among other things a peoples parliament; quality jobs and affordable education, health and social services. The march in Mbabane, jointly organised by the Swaziland National Union of Students, the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) and the Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC), is part of the annual Global Week of Action for Democracy in Swaziland and is due to take place on 5 September 2013. In a statement, organisers predicted 10,000 people would take part in the march. It is one of a series of events planned during August and September. On 6 September, the SUDF and the SDC hope to run what is billed as a peoples summit in Manzini with the intention to profile the boycott of the Tinkhundla election and provide an alternative. It is doubtful that the police in Swaziland will permit this summit to go head. In March and April police broke up prayer meetings, a public meeting and a rally that were all designed to discuss the election. Last year, heavily armed police invaded the Bosco Skills Centre, Manzini, to break up a similar summit. The election is due on 20 September and is largely recognised outside of Swaziland to be undemocratic. Political parties are banned from taking part and the parliament that is elected has no powers as these are held by King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Opposition to the election is not permitted in Swaziland and leaders of protest activities have been arrested and some charged with sedition. See also STATE FORCES STOP PROTEST RALLY POLICE FIRE TEARGAS TO STOP STUDENTS STUDENTS LEAD SECOND DAY OF PROTEST
Border blockade for democracy 28 August 2013 The South African trade union confederation COSATU plans to force a blockade of Oshoek and Matsamo border posts with Swaziland in solidarity with pro-democracy activities in the Page 34
Swaziland: Striving for freedom kingdom. It is to support the Global Week of Action for Democracy in Swaziland and will take place on 6 September. It has also announced support for a picket at the Swazi Consulate in Johannesburg on the same day. In a statement COSATU said Swazi people had rejected the so-called tinkhundla elections currently taking place in Swaziland as undemocratic and a royal circus. It said the elections were, managed by an incompetent, discredited and sycophantic bunch of [King] Mswatis puppets called the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). King Mwsati rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. All political parties are banned from the election and the parliament is widely seen outside of Swaziland as powerless. Separately, a march is planned in the Swaziland capital Mbabane, jointly organised by the Swaziland National Union of Students, the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) and the Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC), on 5 September 2013. In a statement, organisers predicted 10,000 people would take part in the march. On 6 September, the SUDF and the SDC also plan to run what is billed as a peoples summit in Manzini with the intention to profile the boycott of the Tinkhundla election and provide an alternative.
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4. POLITICS
Kingdoms constitution is a fraud 1 August 2013 The Swaziland Governments official spokesperson Percy Simelane scored an own goal when trying to defend the legitimacy of the kingdoms constitution. Simelane was reacting angrily to South African parliamentarians who said the Swazi House of Assembly and Senate had no power and also that the national constitution meant nothing. Simelane told Swazilands state-controlled radio that the constitution came into being with input from the International Bar Association (IBA) among others. He claimed this meant that the constitution had support from international organisations. What he failed to mention was that the IBA called the draft constitution a fraud. The International Bar Association , a group of experienced lawyers, was called in by King Mswati III in 2003 to comment on the first draft of the constitution. It called the process flawed and reported that one critic went so far as to call it a fraud. The IBA pointed out that the judiciary and non-government organisations (NGOs) were not allowed to take part in the consultation before the constitution was written. Also, individuals were interviewed in front of their chiefs so were not free to say what they really thought about the powers of the king and what he and his followers like to call Swazilands unique democracy, the Tinkhundla system. IBA said the consultation did not allow for groups to make submissions and incomplete records were kept of the submissions that were made so, IBA said, there was no formal record of how Swazi citizens presented their views and of what in fact they said. On top of this the IBA reported that the Swaziland media were not allowed to report on the submissions. Furthermore, information was elicited in a highly charged atmosphere. Individuals were reportedly asked, in the presence of chiefs, whether they wanted to retain the King and whether they preferred political parties, IBA said. Under these circumstances it is obvious why the people said they wanted to keep the existing system. See also SWAZILAND PM CONSTITUTION LIES SWAZIS DID NOT CHOOSE POLITICAL SYSTEM
Swazi Cabinet hides its failures 7 August 2013 Casual observers of the scene in Swaziland should not be misled by the report just published by the Swazi Government detailing what it claims are its achievements during the five-year Page 36
Swaziland: Striving for freedom parliament, just ended. The fact that it was written by the government itself puts one in mind of the lazy schoolboy who, allowed to write his own end of term school report, gives himself A-grades in all subjects in the hope that his father will not find out the truth and punish him. If you took the Cabinet Performance Report at face value you would not know that Swaziland was on the verge of economic collapse, shorn up only by inflated receipts from the Southern African Customs Union that will not last forever. Nor, would you know that every international organisation that monitors human rights has determined Swaziland, which is ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, is not free. The issue of human rights in Swaziland received only five lines in the 239-page report and this was only to state that in 2009 the Commission of Human Rights was established in the kingdom. But, without a hint of shame, the report records that in 2012, fully three years later, the task of filling nine posts in the commission was underway. Nowhere was there mention that the Suppression of Terrorism Act had been widely condemned as it labelled legitimate dissenters, terrorists. Nor, did it say that Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini had himself called for his critics to be whipped on the feet to silence them. Swaziland has been torn apart by a judicial crisis, with senior judges turning against the Chief Justice, but not a word of this is mentioned. The Swaziland Government report baldly states, The Constitution has throughout the period of this Administration been a continuous point of reference, and is fully respected as the supreme law of the land. This was demonstrated not to be true in October 2012 when the House of Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the government by a two-thirds majority. According to the Constitution, King Mswati was obliged to dismiss the government (he had no discretion in the matter), but he ignored the Constitution and instead of sacking the Prime Minister, who he had personally appointed (again, in contravention of the Constitution), he forced the House of Assembly to have a re-vote, which the Government won. That case alone puts to rest any doubt that King Mswati and the governments he handpicks do not respect the Constitution. Free speech is severely curtailed in Swaziland and most of the media are state-controlled. Censorship by the authorities and self-censorship by nominally-free media houses is rife, but according to the governments version, Consultat ion with, and participation by, communities, as a way of encouraging active participation by citizens in their own governance has continued to be promoted over the course of the Administration. This also ignores the many times state police and security forces have broken up public demonstrations, and even prayer meetings, to stop people discussing issues of their choice. In April 2011, a protest against the repressive Mswati regime, that would be deemed legitimate in any democratic nation, was brutally put down, with leaders arbitrarily arrested without court orders or warrants.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom In April 2013, a protest against Swazilands forthcoming undemocratic elections was broken up by state police and its leaders charged with sedition. The Cabinet Performance Report is designed to deflect attention away from the true realities in Swaziland. Next month (September 2013) elections for the House of Assembly take place in the kingdom. Political parties are banned from taking part and state police and security forces are trying to silence those who point out that the parliament has no power as this rests with King Mswati alone. This will be an excellent opportunity for observers outside the kingdom to see for themselves what life is really like for the Swazi.
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5. ROYAL FAMILY
King offside on police brutality 11 August 2013 Seasoned watchers of Swaziland will know that King Mswati III was wide of the mark when he said there was no police brutality in his kingdom and people were free to associate: the facts prove the opposite. King Mswati rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch and the police and security forces work hard to ensure that things stay that way, despite a growing prodemocracy movement in the kingdom. A national election will be held next month, but political parties are banned from taking part and any opposition to the poll has been suppressed by the police. The king told Police Day celebrations in Matsapha on Friday (9 August 2013), These days we are in the national elections process. I am grateful to know that the nation has participated without fear of the police. The nation will be meeting and discussing elections issues and campaigning, this is evidence that there is freedom of association in Swaziland and there is no police brutality. I declare that people are free to associate in the country. But the facts prove the opposite is the case. Earlier this year, attempts by people to meet to discuss the forthcoming election and to question whether they were free and democratic were blocked by the police. Among gatherings broken up by the police were a prayer meeting in Manzini in March and a public meeting at a restaurant, also in Manzini in April. Both these events were broken up by police acting without a court order or warrant. Also in April, a public rally to discuss the election was broken up by police and its leaders charged with sedition. Police brutality is commonplace in Swaziland, whether in breaking up pro-democracy gatherings or fighting crime. The Swazi media have reported numerous cases of people attacked in police stations and tortured to confess to crimes. Some people have been shot in cold blood by police. The misbehaviour of police in Swaziland has attracted international attention. In April 2013, the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) reported that Swazi police and state security forces had shown increasingly violent and abusive behaviour that was leading to the militarization of the kingdom. OSISA told the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) meeting in The Gambia, There are also reliable reports of a general militarization of the country through the deployment of the Swazi army, police and correctional services to clamp down on any peaceful protest action by labour or civil society organisations ahead of the countrys undemocratic elections.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom In the same month the US Embassy in Swaziland said it had deep concern about the way police engaged in acts of intimidation and fear against people seeking their political rights. It was reacting to the police blockade of a public meeting at a restaurant to discuss political freedom. It said Swazi security forces had a duty to protect the rights of citizens to, communicate ideas and information without interference. Exactly a year earlier in April 2012 the US Embassy in Swaziland said, We urge the Swazi government to take the necessary steps to ensure the promotion and protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Swazi citizens as outlined in the Swazi constitution, including freedom of conscience, of expression, of peaceful assembly and association, and of movement. See also MORE POLICE TORTURE IN SWAZILAND SWAZI STUDENT LEADER TORTURED ARMED POLICE BLOCK PUBLIC MEETING SWAZI POLICE NOW A PRIVATE MILITIA POLICE BREAK UP ELECTION MEETING
Queens back from luxury holiday 3 August 2013 A group of King Mswatis 13 wives are heading back to Swaziland after a vacation that was said to cost millions of dollars. The wives and an entourage of about 100 people have been on a tour of Japan, Australia, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean for the past two weeks. They are due back at Matsapha this weekend (4 August 2013). Swazi Media Commentary tracked the progress of King Mswatis private jet as it made its way across half the globe. In the past week it has been in Papua New Guinea, Australia (Canberra and Sydney), the paradise holiday isle of Bali, the Maldives and Zanzibar before heading back to Swaziland. The holiday trip was made in great secrecy and media in Swaziland, where the king rules as sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch, have been silent about it. King Mswatis wives take expensive holidays each year and in the past have travelled to the United States, Europe and the Middle East. King Mswati is said to have a personal fortune, estimated by Forbes to be about US$200 million. He has 13 palaces in Swaziland, fleets of Mercedes and BMW cars and at least one Rolls Royce. Meanwhile, seven in ten of his subjects live in abject poverty earning less than US$2 a day.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Last month a report on hunger in Swaziland revealed that 40 percent of children in Swaziland were so malnourished it stunted their growth. See also QUEENS ON MILLION DOLLARS VACATION
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Rooney was associate professor at the University of Swaziland 2005 2008, where he was also the founding head of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department. He has taught in universities in Africa, Europe and the Pacific. His academic research which specialises in media and their relationships to democracy, governance and human rights has appeared in books and journals across the world. His writing regularly appears in newspapers, magazines and on websites. He was a full-time journalist in his native United Kingdom for 10 years, before becoming an academic. He has published the blog Swazi Media Commentary since 2007 and also has other social media sites that concentrate on human rights issues in Swaziland. He holds a Ph.D in Communication from the University of Westminster, London, UK. He presently teaches at the University of Botswana, Gaborone.
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Swaziland: Striving for freedom Publications from Swazi Media Commentary available online free-of-charge
BOOKS
2013. The beginning of the End? 2012, a year in the struggle for democracy in Swaziland This compilation of newsletters from Africa Contact in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary contains an assortment of news, analysis and comment covering the campaign for freedom in Swaziland throughout 2012. These include the Global Action for Democracy held in September; campaigns for democracy spearheaded by trade unions and students and the continuing struggle for rights for women, children, gays and minority groups.
2012. The End of the Beginning? 2011, a year in the struggle for freedom in Swaziland This book looks at activities in the freedom movement in 2011. It starts with a section on the unsuccessful April 12 Uprising followed by separate chapters looking at events in each month of 2011, including the Global Week of Action held in September. They also highlight the numerous violations of rights suffered by the poor, by children, by women and by sexual minorities, among others, in the kingdom.
2011. Voices Unheard: Media Freedom and Censorship in Swaziland. This volume of pages from Swazi Media Commentary focuses on media freedom and censorship. It starts with some overview articles that set out the general terrain, moving on to look at repressive media laws. Other sections of this book relate the daily threats journalists in Swaziland face when they want to report, but are not allowed to.
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OCCASIONAL PAPERS SERIES
No. 1. 2013. Cynicism Eats Away at Swaziland Journalism: The state of Swazi journalism, 2013 One thing that shines out about journalists and their editors in Swaziland is the deeply cynical way they operate. Swazi journalists claim to be upholders of fine ethical traditions of honesty and inquiry, but instead they are often publishing lies or playing with readers emotions to boost company profits. This article explores the state of newspaper journalism in Swaziland, a small kingdom in Africa, ruled over by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africas last absolute monarch. Editors are deliberately misleading their readers by publishing material that is intended to provoke controversy and reaction, even though they know it also contains lies. This is done in order to boost profits for owners.
No. 2. 2013. Swaziland Broadcasting Not For The People A review of broadcasting in Swaziland that demonstrates through research that radio in the kingdom only serves the interests of King Mswati III and his intimate supporters. All other voices are excluded from the airwaves. The paper contrasts a public broadcasting service with public service broadcasting and demonstrates that changes in the kingdoms broadcasting cannot be made until it becomes a democratic state. No. 3. 2013. Swaziland Media Need Code of Conduct for Covering Elections A review of how media have covered past elections in Swaziland highlighting a number of areas for improvement. The paper includes a suggested code of ethical conduct that Swazi journalists can adopt in order to improve performance.
No.4. 2013. Swaziland Press Freedom: The case of Bekhi Makhubu and the Nation magazine In April 2013 Bheki Makhubu the editor of the Nation magazine and its publishers, Swaziland Independent Publishers were convicted of scandalising the court after two articles criticising the judiciary were published in 2009 and 2010. The purpose of this paper is to bring together details of the story so far (May 2013). It is an attempt to bring under one cover all the available information on the case in order to assist those people in the future who might need a quick primer.
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As seen through the pages of Swazi Media Commentary