Recall High Commissioner - COSATU

South African High Commissioner Happy Herby Mahlangu and his wife Andrea during the Freedom Day celebrations. (File Pic)

MBABANE - Following comments on the democratisation of Swaziland, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) wants South African High Commissioner to Swaziland Happy Mahlangu recalled so that he could be trained on ANC policies.

COSATU Second Deputy President Zingiswa Losi said the union intended to apply for Mahlangu to be recalled to South Africa so that he could familiarise himself with the African National Congress (ANC) policies and the party’s recent decisions with regard to the democratisation of Swaziland. Losi could not, however, state when the meeting with ANC leadership will be held. 

“We believe that what he (Mahlangu) said was contrary to the ANC’s stance that the ANC should assist in the democratisation of Swaziland.
“We will arrange a meeting with the ANC leadership to recommend that Mahlangu be recalled for training on ANC policies and decisions especially with regard to offering assistance towards the democratisa-tion of Swaziland,” Losi said. Ironically, Mahlangu is currently in Sou-th Africa.        

    
COSATU made this statement in response to Mahlangu’s statement that no country could impose how Swaziland should be governed but only Swazis can decide how they wanted to be governed.
The acting SA High Commissioner to Swaziland, Annell Van Yl said: “He (Mahlangu) is a representative of the South African government and follows the government policy in terms of SA priorities and objectives also in terms of the African agenda.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mtiti Fakudze concurred with the SA High Commissioner that no country could impose how Swaziland should be governed.
“Mahlangu is the official representative of the SA government in Swaziland, therefore, we cannot  comment on what other organisa-tions apart from the ANC intend to do.

“Through his statement, he (Mahlangu) was emphasising on what we have said in the past that no country can impose how Swazis should be governed,” Fakudze said.    
In a press statement issued by COSATU, Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC) SA Chapter, Ngwane National Libera-tory Congress (NNLC) and proscribed People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), it was stated that Mahlangu had compromised his independence through his recent statement on the democra-tisation of Swaziland.  

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