It is ironic that the ANC government, which was in the vanguard of the struggle for democracy in South Africa, should be so reticent in supporting oppressed people in neighbouring countries. It seems as though the closer you are to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the less likely it is that the South African government will stick its neck out to support you if you are trying to reform a brutal dictatorship, or press for basic human rights. The ANC has been vocal in its support for the Polisario government in Western Sahara as it fights the occupation of most…
It is ironic that the ANC government, which was in the vanguard of the struggle for democracy in South Africa, should be so reticent in supporting oppressed people in neighbouring countries.
It seems as though the closer you are to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the less likely it is that the South African government will stick its neck out to support you if you are trying to reform a brutal dictatorship, or press for basic human rights.
The ANC has been vocal in its support for the Polisario government in Western Sahara as it fights the occupation of most of its territory by Morocco.
Yet, when it comes to the systematic oppression of people, using security forces – as happened in Zimbabwe from the early 2000s onward – the ANC seems to prefer polite diplomacy.
Hence, despite Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party quite probably having stolen the election of 2002, there was no pressure applied by us.
And the same thing is happening now in eSwatini, where people are dying in the streets as a violent clampdown on dissent continues on the orders of the monarch, King Mswati III.
South Africa, as part of the toothless Southern African Development Community, has sent former Cabinet minister Jeff Radebe to “talk to all sides” and bring about “peace”, all the while urging “restraint”.
This while the king, aided by his thuggish government, refuses to countenance democratic institutions like a free media and judiciary.
For decades, the eSwatini liberation movement, the People’s United Democratic Movement, has been fighting for human rights and to limit Mswati’s divine right to rule as he pleases.
He continues to waft around in limousines while his people drown in poverty. The world came to our aid during apartheid.
Surely we have a moral obligation to do the same for eSwatini’s people?
