Locals, Swazis and Zimbabweans demand human rights for all
“We have been killed for too long, we have been folding our arms for too long and it is time for us now to meet fire with fire,” says furious protester.
More than a thousand people marched to the offices of the governments of Swaziland and Zimbabwe in Pretoria on Thursday demanding an end to human rights violations in those countries.
The marchers comprised various organisations from Swaziland, local union Nehawu (National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union) and the World Federation of Trade Unions.
“It was all part of Nehawu’s commemoration of June 29 2021 to show solidarity with the people of Swaziland,” said organiser and president of Swaziland People’s Liberation Movement, Vusi Shongwe.
“Swaziland and Zimbabwe are in the same situation in terms of [how] the governments rule over citizens,” he told Rekord during the protest.
Shongwe said the march was part of the activities to remember “fallen heroes” allegedly massacred by the Swaziland government during the unrest from late June to early July last year.
According to Shongwe, the Swaziland and Zimbabwe governments “have a lot of mismanagement and disrespect for basic human rights”.
“So we are in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe because we believe and know that what is happening there is the same thing that is happening in Swaziland,” he said.
He said they have marched on the two embassies several times since 2008 without achieving their objectives of, among others, justice for the citizens of the countries concerned.
“We are calling for a democratisation of Swaziland, and that means a return of a multiparty democracy in Swaziland,” he said this would give citizens self-determination and self-rule.
He said it was concerning that their country was currently a one party state ruled and run by King Mswati III contrary to democratic norms.
“We have been folding our arms for too long and it is time for us now to meet fire with fire,” he said.
He said they were embarking on an armed struggle not because they wanted war but because it was their last resort.
United Eswatini Diaspora representative Lioness Sibande called on the South African government to act decisively on the matter for the people of Swaziland and Zimbabwe to be free.
“We are calling for a total shutdown of the two embassies in South Africa,” Sibande said.
She said it was not supposed to be business as usual when innocent people were killed by governments that do not respect human rights.
The protesters gave the embassies 14 days to respond to their letters of demand.
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