Swazis 'plot' against king
2004-06-07 13:18
Nelspruit, South Africa - Swaziland's pro-democracy activists and anti-monarchists will defy a ban on political gatherings and hold a major strategy conference in South Africa's Mpumalanga province this month.
The Swaziland Youth Congress (Swayoco) will officially open its 7th general parliament of Swazi youth in Matsulu, east of Nelspruit, on June 18 and plan a political offensive against the kingdom's Tinkhundla, or monarchist system of government.
"Due to all the harassment we knew we'd get from the state's agents in Swaziland, we opted for Mpumalanga as a venue," said Swayoco's secretary general Kenneth Kunene.
The last Swayoco political meeting was in 1998 and was disrupted by police.
For discussion at this conference, which is themed "Youth of Swaziland unite and rise against royal oppression in Swaziland", will be how to replace the absolute monarchy with a multi-party democratic government.
"We want to plan how we can build a new and democratic country," said Kunene.
South Africans who are expected to attend the two-day conference include African National Congress Youth League president Malusi Gigaba, SA Communist Party secretary general Blade Nzimande and Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
The conference will be officially opened by president Mario Masuku of Swaziland's banned People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo).
Pudemo has declared this the decade in which Swaziland's absolute monarchy will be replaced with a democratic government.
Swayoco will also discuss Swaziland's current draft constitution that King Mswati III wants to adopt in July.
The draft constitution was released in September last year but its adoption was delayed following complaints that it continues to enforce the 1973 royal decree that originally banned political parties.
Opposition banned
"According to the draft constitution, the king will be able to decree laws, and appoint the prime minister, cabinet and senior government officials, while political opposition will remain banned," said Kunene.
Other issues to be discussed are the deepening economic and social crisis in the small land-locked kingdom of one million people.
Swaziland has a 38.6% HIV/Aids prevalence rate, 40% unemployment rate, massive retrenchments and declining standards of living, increasing crime, women and children abuse, and even slavery, Kunene said.
This is not the first time Swazi political parties have gathered in Mpumalanga.
In 2000 teachers held a political meeting in Nelspruit to avoid being disturbed by the police.