Times Of Swaziland: Swaziland reported to African Commission

Swaziland reported to African Commission
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 LINDA JELE on 15/05/2012 00:00:00


MBABANE – The Lawyers for Human Rights Swaziland (LHRS)has reported the
country to the African Commission for disallowing the partici-pation of
political parties in the 2013 elections.
In a statement LHRS said there were concerns on Swaziland’s ‘stamping on
efforts by people to improve human rights recognition.’
This, according to LHRS Chairman Mandla Mkhwanazi, was necessitated by
government’s failure to abide by a resolution taken by the African Union after
it reported the country in 2005.
The LHRS had sent three delegates to the Gambia to attend the 51st Ordinary
Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, held between
April 12 and May 2, 2012. Mkhwanazi, speaking on behalf of the LHRS management
committee, said various international and national human rights organisations
had raised a concern on Swaziland’s ‘flagrant’ violations by government
and its agencies.
He said the Non-Governmental Organisations Forum formed by human rights
organisations such as Women and the Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), Human Rights
Watch, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and others, took a
resolution about Swaziland and called upon the African Commission to urge
Swaziland to comply.
"The NGO Forum notes that Swaziland is a signatory to the African Union’s
Charter on Human and People’s Rights, SADC Principles and Guidelines on
Democratic Elections as well as signatory to other bilateral and multilateral
mechanisms for the promotion of democracy and human rights. Swaziland,
therefore, is duty-bound to practically observe, respect and fulfil these
commitments," Mkhwanazi said.
He further said there was also a feeling that efforts to improve the atmosphere
for the protection and promotion of human rights have not enjoyed genuine
goodwill. He also said government has "excelled in articulating the rhetoric of
commitment, but has failed the citizens in the practical implementation of human
rights standards."
He said the NGO Forum called upon the African Commission to urgently intervene
in the human rights and workers’ rights violations in Swaziland.
"This appeal becomes a necessity and urgent as renewed waves of repression and
intimidation by Swazi authorities against workers, human rights advocates and
pro-democracy activists once again came under focus during the May Day
celebrations," Mkhwanazi stated in a press release.
...also told to urge SD to stop unlawful evictions
MBABANE – The African Commission has also been called on to urge Swaziland to
stop unlawful evictions and the torturing of pro-democracy activists and human
rights defenders.
This is contained in a press release issued by the Human Rights Lawyers of
Swaziland. This is one of the calls made by the local organisation and other
international human rights organisations in a meeting with the African
Commission in the Gambia recently.
"The role of civic groups in decision-making has been relegated to the backyard
as they are being treated with hostility and suspicion as mere nonentities where
national policy formulation and implementation are concerned. The entire social
dialogue process is heavily manipulated and does not include political
discussions.
Mass meetings that are organised by civic groups are regularly banned and broken
up by the police, who often use excessive force against peaceful citizens
sometimes resulting in death (in custody such as the case of Sipho Jele),
injuries, arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention," Lawyers for Human Rights
Chairman Mandla Mkhwanazi alleged in the statement.
Calls for Tucoswa re-registration intensify
MBABANE – The calls to reregister TUCOSWA continue to intensify.
The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights has been called upon to
urge Swaziland to bring into existence, once again, the Trade Union Congress of
Swaziland (TUCOSWA), which was ‘deregistered’ by government last month.
contained
This is contained in the statement by the Lawyers for Human Rights Swaziland,
who had attended the 51st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human
and People’s Rights held in the Gambia earlier this month.
Chairman Mandla Mkhwanazi has said the TUCOSWA ‘deregistration’ was one of
the many issues that were deliberated upon in the meeting and the African
Commission was called on to urge Swaziland to reregister it.
"One of the most heartening developments in Swaziland over the last year has
been the emergence of a united and purposeful trade union federation bringing
together all Swazi trade unions into a single entity, TUCOSWA.
deregistration
The attention of the NGO Forum has been drawn to the deregistration of the
recently formed TUCOSWA by the office of the Commissioner of Labour on the
advice of the Attorney General (Majahenkhaba Dlamini) of the government of
Swaziland," Mkhwanazi said in the statement.
He also said, "The action unjustly infringes on the rights of workers in
Swaziland to freely and independently form and join trade union organisations of
their choice. This is unacceptable and demands urgent redress."
He said the African Commission was called upon to urge the government of
Swaziland to reverse the TUCOSWA ‘deregistration’ speedily and to desist
from the continued intimidation of its leaders and members.
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Comments
I THANK GOD THAT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT CAN COME OUT CLEAN
TO TELL THE TRUTH WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR. KEEP IT UP GUYZ, THAT IS GODS MISSION.
DO YOUR BEST TO SEE JUSTICE SERVED. THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL OVER
PROPAGANDA. ALUTA CONTINUA!!!!
May 15, 2012, 1:17 PM, Dlamini Sicelo (skakadza@yahoo.co.uk)