Treason charges against a group of opposition activists for allegedly bombing state offices in Africa’s last absolute monarchy are sending rumblings through the peaceful hills of Swaziland.
For King Mswati III, known as the ”ngwenyama” (lion) of the nation, this is probably the biggest political headache since he ascended the throne two decades ago to continue his father’s rule by decree.
Although only three people were slightly injured, the fire-bombing of 14 government offices and houses belonging to friends of the king late last year have rattled the state machinery.
”It is scary. Swazis are not used to this,” said government spokesperson Percy Simelane whose house was one of those bombed.
”I think government has been kind of lenient and now we have learnt today the hard way — what it means to go to bed with people who are not supposed to be there in the first place,” he said at the office of the prime minister in Mbabane.
Political parties are officially banned in Swaziland, a small and tradition-bound nation wedged between South Africa and Mozambique.
King Shobuza II banned political parties in 1973 after ”the Swazis themselves said they didn’t want parties because it divided the nation”, explained Simelane.
However the People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) unbanned itself in 1992 and the government for all practical purposes let them be, although the party cannot participate in elections.
”I think we wanted a situation whereby people were exercising their rights with caution but these ones, they overstepped their boundaries,” said Simelane.
Firebombs were hurled at government offices as well as the homes of a senior police officer, a member of Parliament and Simelane himself between August and December last year.
Police arrested 16 members of Pudemo, which says it has 15 000 registered members. The group of pro-democracy activists is expected to apply for bail on Tuesday on charges of high treason — which carries the death penalty — attempted murder, arson and sedition.
”Since 1992 when Pudemo unbanned itself… we wanted the powers-that-be to engage us in the constitutional and political dispensation,” said Pudemo deputy secretary general Kislon Shongwe.
Following local and international pressure to reform, Mswati, 37, last year signed a new Constitution which took eight years to draft, but it let him keep his sweeping powers and does not officially unban opposition parties.
Pudemo has had enough; not only of Mswati’s absolute rule but also the lavish lifestyle he and his 13 wives live. This is while the majority of the 1,2-million impoverished nation depends on food aid to survive and grapples with one of the world’s highest HIV/Aids rates.
”We are giving a warning that we cannot forever suppress our members and the general Swazi citizen from engaging in other means of bringing about change…
”In any revolution, it started with failure of the part of those in power to engage people with a dissenting view and if such a situation occurs the whole blame should be laid at the door of the government and his majesty,” said Shongwe.
Lawyer Bongani Mdluli, one of the advocates representing the 16 accused, said his clients had been tortured in custody.
”Everything is based on speculation, harassment,” he said.
”The charges of high treason, sedition and attempted murder… they are ridiculous. The most probable charge that can perhaps be sustained by evidence is that of arson,” said Shongwe.
”The authorities of the country… to avert similiar developments, perhaps even of a mighty serious nature, they have to see reason to engage people in peaceful negotiations.”
Simelane however remains sceptical.
”They [Pudemo] don’t have a structure. We have always asked them, replace this with what? The king is a symbol of unity, and if we are going to replace the king with a president, yuk! Swazis will tell you, no, no, no. You can’t even talk about it.” – AFP
