* CPS Statement of the Communist Party of Swaziland, 27 June 2011 * ** ** ** *Assistance to the Mswati regime
*/and the role of quiet diplomacy to bring democracy to Swaziland/The Communist Party of Swaziland notes the recent and credible reports that the South African government has agreed financial assistance of $1.2 billion to the regime of Mswati III.
This assistance has been granted to Africa's last absolute monarch, who presides over our country where political parties are banned and our people suffer the world's highest HIV-AIDS rate, mass poverty and social and economic oppression.
The CPS is aware of the good resolutions and stands taken by the ANC and the Alliance (ANC, COSATU, SACP) in South Africa against the Mswati regime. It is also aware that, on the other hand, there are interests in some moneyed and strongly capitalist sections of the political and economic elite in South Africa that supports the Swazi regime and has commercial dealings in Swaziland.
We realise therefore that there will be interests in South Africa that do not support the goals of the pro-democracy and liberation forces in Swaziland. These forces call for a boycott of the Mswati regime, efforts to hasten its collapse and the installation of an interim government to pave the way to a democratic dispensation.
It is true also that Mswati is in a dirty gambling crusade, offering everything for the loan, including half dug mineral reserves which he has ever been using for black market. This has tempted money seeking people including drug-lords to his dirty and corrupt deals.
There is a constant push and pull of positive and negative forces that seek either full democracy for Swaziland or who want to maintain business as usual.
We are aware that the South African government under comrade President Zuma is keen to see change in Swaziland and that it has no real interest in the continuation of the monarchic autocracy.
South Africa has a tried and tested ability to pursue quiet diplomacy to support democratic developments.
We believe that this quiet diplomacy would benefit greatly from the input of the CPS, as well as from that of PUDEMO, SSN and other progressive formations, not least the trade union movement in Swaziland. We think that the loan to Mswati could allow a degree of leverage by South Africa over the situation in Swaziland, though we would warn against efforts to democratise the regime as such or to seek its reform.
We hope that any diplomatic overtures to Swaziland will draw on the demands of the organisations (most of the banned) seeking democratic and socialist change. There must be a concerted move by these organisations to work with the South African government in putting pressure on the Mswati regime to be disbanded and for the convening of a national conference of all democratic forces in Swaziland to appoint an interim government.
We call on South Africa to help make that a reality and to engage constructively with the progressive movement in Swaziland in order to disengage the Mswati regime from political and economic power.
*Support the call for a democratic revolution in Swaziland!* *The workers and poor are the vehicle for revolutionary change!* *Yes to working class and progressive internationalism!* *No to business as usual with Mswati!* ** ** * **_Contacts_: * ** *General Secretary Kenneth Kunene Tel: +2772 594 3971 Email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> International Organizer Felix Mabaso Tel: +2774 922 8277 Email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> *** -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
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