SWALIMO, OTHER GROUPS’ BID TO MEET ZUMA

MBABANE - It remains to be seen if a proposed meeting between some local political parties and former South Africa (SA) President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma will see the light of day.

This publication is in possession of a letter which newly-formed political entity, the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) wrote to the former SA president seeking to have an audience with him. According to the letter, six other organisations have been roped in in the plan to meet the former ANC president. In the letter, titled ‘Request for an audience with His Excellency as Political Organisations of Eswatini’, the other listed organisations are the Swaziland People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) and the Economic Freedom Fighters of Swaziland (EFFSWA).  The rest are the Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA), Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) and the Swaziland Massacre Victims and Survivors (SWAVISA).

Meeting

The letter states that the meeting will assist the seven political organisations in preparation for the imminent National Dialogue as planned by His Majesty King Mswati III and the Government of Eswatini. “It is envisaged that this meeting will build capacity of the leaders as the president is well experienced on the issues currently faced by the people of Eswatini,” reads part of the one-page letter, which was signed by SWALIMO Secretary General Dr Siphetfo Dlamini. It should be noted that last week, the former president met with members of pro-monarchy group Mangololo Eswatini at his Nkandla Residence situated in KwaZulu-Natal. The meeting with Zuma happened two weeks after the members of the pro-monarchy group had held another private one with One South Africa (OneSA)Movement leader Mmusi Maimane.

owever, it remains to be seen if the meeting of SWALIMO and the other political parties with Zuma will see the light of day. In fact, if the words of Jacob Zuma Foundation Spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi are anything to go by, the meeting is unlikely to take place. Called yesterday, Manyi stated that Zuma was known for being a man who had been credited for bringing peace in KZN when there were issues between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). He said Zuma actually had a track record for being sent to various envoys to bring peace. “He is a man who does not like war. So I am not surprised that there is a request to have an audience with him. Basically, it means that there are many people who want to get his wisdom whenever tensions are at an all-time high.

“So, it should not be surprising because here we are talking about a man with a proven track record of bringing peace. Even when he was arrested in July last year, a lot of his supporters were ready to spill blood but because he is a peaceful man, he did the right thing and agreed to go to prison to avoid bloodshed,” Manyi stated. Elaborating, Manyi said if there were many locals and organisations wishing to have private meetings with Zuma, it would not be a surprise as even in South Africa he had to meet many entourages week in and week out. He said, however, there were principles followed for people to visit Nkandla, whether to have discussions or wish him well. Manyi was asked specifically if the former president would open his hands to have audience with the local political organisations.

In response, Manyi said; “I think the big issue this side is the protocols of the country. The last thing that Zuma will want to do, would be to be seen to be undermining the country’s protocols. For instance, if people from royalty or some groupings want to see him, it is possible. But organised formations like the one you are talking about (SWALIMO), that would invoke formal protocols of the country,” he said.  He said for such a meeting, the details would have to be looked into.  “But from the sound of things and what you have asked, it sounds like if Zuma has to deal with that matter, he would have to be delegated by the country (SA) because there are diplomatic issues, so it is about principles.” This reporter also brought it to the attention of Manyi that the meeting Zuma had with Mangololo Eswatini members had not been received well by some members of certain political parties.

In response, he said; “For those who are finding fault in him meeting the group you mentioned, the question they should ask themselves is whether they have ever heard of a man who was a global icon by the name of Nelson Mandela. Do they know that Nelson Mandela met with the architects of apartheid? Also, do they know that it was a peaceful engagement? I am not comparing but just picking a worst case scenario.” Manyi said if someone had the confidence to meet apartheid architects, surely they could meet anyone else.

Understand

“So people must try and understand that if you want peace, you cannot run away from coming to the table,” he said. However, he emphasised that even though it was key to ensure that one engaged everyone, it all depended on the protocols in place. He said Mangololo Eswatini members came to Zuma as a concerned group of emaSwati as opposed to formal political parties. “I mean it is not like this was an envoy from King Mswati III himself, this was just a concerned group of people who have  a particular view, it was fine. But now you are talking about formalised political parties so the different protocols have to obtain,” he said. It should be noted that when Mangololo Eswatini was unveiled in August last year, the members emphasised that they were against multiparty organisations.

Commenting on the meeting with Zuma in our sister publication the Times SUNDAY, Mangololo Spokesperson Gcina Dlamini said the talks which were lengthy, were influenced by the well-known fact that the former president was a long-time friend of Eswatini and among the few remaining leaders in the ANC who knew the value of the ANC-Eswatini relationship dating back to the times of Queen Regent Gwamile. Some members of local progressives, however, did not hide their displeasure at Zuma meeting the Mangololo members. South African publication, the IOL, quoted Swaziland Solidaritry Network (SNN) Spokesperson Lucky Lukhele who did not hide the fact that his organisation had been irked by Zuma’s meeting with Mangololo. Lukhele was quoted saying it was not surprising that Zuma did so, as he was close to the country’s authorities.

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