Times Of Swaziland: TROIKA TEAM COMING BACK, SUPPORTS DIALOGUE

TROIKA TEAM COMING BACK, SUPPORTS DIALOGUE
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BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 07/07/2021 08:52:00


MBABANE – A second fact-finding mission of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security (Troika) to Eswatini will be dispatched urgently to continue with
the consultation process.
This is according to a statement issued by Chairperson of Troika Botswana
President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi yesterday, regarding the
fact-finding mission to the country, which occurred last Sunday. Masisi said,
“There was a clear sense of urgency to address the situation in the country.
The proposal for an open national dialogue was highly welcomed as a way forward
towards finding a long lasting solution.”
Disturbances
The president said following receipt of the reports on the recent political and
security disturbances in Eswatini, there was an urgent dispatch of a
fact-finding mission which was constituted by the ministers of Foreign Affairs
of the republics of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The mission was led by
Dr Lemogang Kwape, Minister of International Affairs of the Republic of
Botswana, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the SADC Ministerial Committee
of the Organ. “The purpose of the mission was to gather first-hand information
on the disturbances, including the state of security in the country, and to
appeal for calm and restraint from all the stakeholders, as well as to propose
consideration of an open national dialogue, as a way forward in the efforts
towards finding a lasting solution,” reads the statement which was issued by
SADC. It was reported that all the consultations were held in an atmosphere of
calm, mutual respect and understanding. He said in that regard, the mission held
consultations with the Government of Eswatini. “The mission also made attempts
to meet with a broad spectrum of other stakeholders across the Eswatini nation.
Due to the short notice, it was not possible to reach many of the
stakeholders,” said Masisi.
Dispatched
He said as a result, it was agreed that a second mission would be dispatched
urgently to Eswatini to continue the consultation process with the other
stakeholders. Masisi said therefore, a short meeting was held with a few civil
society organisations to assure them of a second mission to the country to hold
further consultations with all other key stakeholders. Masisi’s statement
comes after some civil organisations were of the view that they had only been
called at the 11th hour by government for a meeting held at the Royal Villas,
where government had spent over five hours with the team giving them their side
of the story.