Mbabane-The Kingdom of Eswatini in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will immediately begin a process that will work towards the establishment of a national dialogue forum. This decision follows a meeting between the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and King Mswati that was held in the Kingdom.
President Ramaphosa was on a one-day working visit to the Monarch, in his capacity as Chair of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence Security. In a statement, Ramaphosa disclosed that they discussed a broad range of matters relating to the political and security situation in the Kingdom.
The SADC Secretariat and the Government of Eswatini will embark on a process of drafting terms of reference for the national dialogue. These terms of reference will specify the processes for the forum as well as the composition of the forum.
Ramaphosa says “the process towards the national dialogue will take into account and incorporate structures and processes enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini, including the role of the Parliament of the Kingdom and the Sibaya convened by His Majesty King Mswati.”
The Chairperson of the SADC Organ Troika emphasized that the preparatory process will take place during the coming three months, a period during which His Majesty will undertake his annual mandatory Incwala ceremony.
The two leaders have called on all stakeholders to work together to end violence and conflict and maintain peace and calm as work commences on the national dialogue process.
Political unrest and widespread protest actions have rocked Eswatini since June 2021 that has seen members of the public pitted against security forces At the centre of the conflict is the incarceration of two Members of Parliament, Hosea’s Mduduzi “Bacede” Mabuza and Ngwempisi’s Mthandeni Dube. The two were arrested on July 25, 2021, and were charged with contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Mabuza also faces an additional charge of allegedly breaching the Covid 19 rules.
Linked to these two arrests is the involvement of their colleague, Siphofaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi “Gawuzela” Simelane who is also wanted for the same charges. Simelane however, has been able to evade arrest and as such has been labeled as a fugitive from the law.
They are alleged to have incited people to revolt against the government and demanded that the constitution be amended so that the Prime Minister be elected by the people and not appointed by the Monarch.
Discussion about this post