SOLIDARITY FORCES FORMATION WRONG FROM ONSET

The setting up of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces (SISF), an underground military wing led by incarcerated ex-police ace Thabo Kunene, was a very bad move by whosever established this unit. This is due to the fact that it was established when the State and Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini were at the mercy of the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM). They were at the mercy of the MDM because the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration had already revealed how the over 40 people, including children, were killed during the 2021/2022 civil unrest.

 It, therefore, meant that government would have been forced to account for the deaths. Now, the SISF and MDM are also expected to account for over 10 deaths of security officers. They also have to account for the deaths of civilians. It is now 50/50 situation.The MDM would have been a complainant, with government taking the accused dock. However, instead of maintaining calm, those who claimed to be advocating for political reforms in Eswatini formed the underground unit, which is responsible for the deaths of security forces and civilians.

 It is an indisputable fact that people died in the hands of the members of the security clusters during the civil unrest, but the SISF, which aligned its objectives with the principles of the MDM and MSF, killed men and women who had nothing to do with the civil unrest killings. They burnt homes for certain members of Parliament whose sin was to take pictures with His Majesty King Mswati III, shooting at members of the traditional regiment, burning homes for members of the judiciary, including media personnel.

 They also killed a sickly chief. Prince Mahloma, the grandson of King Sobhuza II, a blood relative of His Majesty King Mswati III, was shot dead at his home after members of the SISF had terribly abused him. In terms of our culture, chiefs are the footstool of Ingwenyama. Ingwenyama, the King, rules through the chiefs. A chief is a symbol of unity and a father of the community.

 When we discuss the deaths associated with the civil unrest, we shall never forget the assassination of Thulani Maseko and Chief Mahloma. In my vocabulary, assassination means murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons. Of course, the chief’s killing was politically motivated. We suspect that it was committed to hurt the King. Without bias, I can safely say that His Majesty the King also lost a member of his family during the civil unrest. Who can dispute this fact?

 My point is that the international community would have long instituted an inquiry into the deaths of the people, but it cannot be seen to be bias by focusing on the killings allegedly committed by the security forces. Whether they retaliated or whatever reasons they may advance, the international community should investigate, among other matters, the killing of Zinhle Mavuso, a female police officer, who was shot dead while her colleague, Philani Mntungwa was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

 To show how cruel the killings on both ends were, in January 2024, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thulisile Dladla had to embark on an exercise to visit all the orphaned children created during the unrest. However, these visits were limited to orphaned children whose parents or guardians were members of the security forces and were killed during the political unrest by people purporting to be members of the solidarity forces.

 The aim of the visits was to ensure that the children, who were left behind by the soldiers, police officers as well as officers from His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) who were killed during the unrest in 2021 and 2022 had access to basic needs. The Times of Eswatini reported that the DPM visited, among others, Mbongeni Mthayi Dlamini’s family who was killed on November 4, 2022. SISF claimed that they kidnapped, tortured and killed Dlamini, an HMCS officer at that time.

 Before he was killed, he was forced to record a video footage that recognised the leadership of the three ex-MPs who advocated for political reforms. He left behind six children. The DPM also visited the family of Bheki Mtsetfwa from Kabhudla. Mtsetfwa, who was based at Sidwashini Correctional Facility, was kidnapped, assaulted and shot. His family is still grieving and inconsolable.

 Last year, government invited the families of the 10 officers from Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), HMCS and Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), and engaged them on how they could be assisted after the death of their loved ones. The families were asked to choose a family member who would replace the deceased in each of the security forces in the country. Ten is a large number. This excludes the killing of the chief and others.

 Who is the killer now? Whosoever came out with the idea to form the solidarity forces messed up. The person who formed the SISF is indirectly or directly responsible for the poisoning of my cousin, Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). Get well soon mzala! The civil unrest may be over, with probabilities of an immediate one a bit slim, but we are still to witness the aftermaths of the 2021/2022 riots.

 The division within the SISF and mistrust among members of the MDM send a signal to society that we must not rule out future internal fights and assassinations. Certain members of the MDM are now on the SISF most wanted list. They have strengthened security in the face of threats they have been receiving from the aggrieved members of the SISF.Some of them left their jobs in Eswatini to be in exile in South Africa where they are reportedly eating chicken intestines and feet, and they may attack anyone in the MDM who is found eating prawns at Sandton restaurants.

 The conflict within the SISF and MDM is far from over. There shall be casualties. This conflict, as a matter of fact, will affect all of us, and government and State will be blamed for causing it, indirectly or directly.There is nothing we can do to prevent it except to advise that we have to learn as emaSwati that it is extremely difficult for an underground unit to defeat a country with a well organised, supported, official and funded military.Senior members of the MDM should have told these young men that they cannot conquer the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), OSSU and other security structures established to respond to wars. They should have known better that they do not have the capacity to overcome the UEDF.

 Before they could reach Cabinet or any Palace, the young men should have known that they would have to pass through the UEDF.In case they were to overcome the UEDF with their home-made guns, SADC would have deployed its troops to assist its member - Eswatini. The regional bloc created a department called Organ on Politics, Defence and Security to deal with units that disturb peace in member States. The Organ’s mandate is to provide a foundation of peace and stability in the SADC region as a prerequisite for the achievement of the bloc’s objectives of socio-economic development, poverty eradication, and regional integration.

 This Directorate covers areas of politics and diplomacy, defence, state security, public security, regional peacekeeping and police It is guided by the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation which aims to promote peace and security in SADC, protect the region’s people from instability due to the breakdown of law and order, develop a common foreign policy for the region, and cooperate on matters related to security and defence. After all, the mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security.

 They want this region to emerge as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy. Civil unrests, therefore, are seen as a threat to the SADC’s mission. They will crush them by all means. Members of the African Union (AU) signed a Declaration on Unconstitutional Change of Governments. The Declaration reads: “We, the representatives of the African Union (AU) member States, members of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU, AU Organs/institutions and the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs), as well as the representatives of African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); academia, professional bodies, youth and women groups and other stakeholders,  having met in Accra, Ghana from 15-17 March 2022, to address the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa.”

 In this regard, participants in the Reflection Forum commit to - “continue to strongly condemn all forms of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa, coup perpetrators and manipulation of democratic processes to effect constitutional amendments or revisions for entrenching power of the incumbent in violation of the national democratic principles, and stipulated rules and procedures for constitutional amendment, and, in this regard urge all those interested parties to address political concerns through the available national legal mechanisms with a view to finding solutions in a constructive, peaceful and constitutionally acceptable manner; emphasise that unconstitutional changes of government, in any circumstances, should not be entertained or justified.”

 Quoted by Vox, Darnell Hunt, a UCLA professor who studied the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, said. “It’s not just people taking advantage. It’s not just anger and frustration at the immediate or proximate cause. It’s always some underlying issues.” I am aware of this fact that underlying issues must be addressed to prevent future upheavals. I can only advise that, instead of going underground to cause change, they and government must adopt the strategy by the United States of America to prevent future conflicts.The USA strategy outlines four goals, prevention, stabilisation, partnerships and management. I cannot expand on these goals, but I may do so in future. In conclusion, we neither need war nor civil unrest, and talks create peace.

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