A woman made homeless during a series of forced evictions attempted public suicide in Swaziland last week. This after she and 15 other families were thrown off land where the government is building Biotechnology Park, a 158-hectare project partially funded by Taiwan, to serve as an innovation hub in the country – specifically for food production.

But according to the South African Litigation Centre, the evictions were illegal.

“On 8 September 2014 this interim order [to evict the residents] was made final and the residents immediately lodged an appeal to the order,” writes SALC lawyer Caroline James. “Appeals to eviction orders ordinarily stay the execution of the orders, and so this should have prohibited the government officials from evicting any person named in the eviction order.”

The woman, whose family of ten is now homeless, was restrained before she could harm herself, reports the Times of Swaziland: “She was heard screaming: “Ngingamane ngife (it’s better to die).”

https://thesadcwrap.wordpress.com/category/botswana/

Nokwane Eviction: a Graphic Case of a Heartless Government

Sub-Sahara Post

2 October 2014

It is showcased as the new promise of Africa. It is described by those very close to the ruling elite as the peaceful kingdom in sub-sahara. This is none other than Swaziland,a little mountainous kingdom hedged between two economical towering nations, South Africa and Mozambique.

In 1973, the late King Sobhuza dampened the true spirit of democracy when he passed the decree that outlawed political parties. Since then, democratic reforms have been trifled by all means, most notably the politicisation of Swaziland’s two annual ceremonies, namely; umhlanga and incwala. It is through this monarchial decree that has made Sobhuza’s son the absolute power-wielding king he is. And up to date, the elite’s stranglehold has been tightened through the enactment into law the Suppression of Terrorism Act, 2008. Through this piece of legislation, members of the fourth estate are languishing in the kingdom’s prisoners, with relatives and members of society, especially known political activists barred from visiting them.

A recently concluded case that sent waves across the world is that of known human rights attorney, Thulani Maseko and The Nation magazine editor, Bheki Makhubu. These illustrates the irony preached by the ardent of the system and point to the never-ending humiliation the over 1.2 million people undergo every day in Swaziland.

Just this week, about twenty homesteads were demolished to give way to the multi-million Science and Bio Technology Park to be constructed in Nokwane. The evictees represents what i can call ’’Swazilised’’ dalit/ untouchables-the people at the lowest social strata whose concerns and needs are way out of the government’s priorities. The eviction went ahead despite a court order stopping it. In Swaziland courts have ceased to be courts in the literal sense. Rather, Swazi courts have been turned into government puppets. Judges are handpicked without abiding by the tenets of the Constitution, a document that was blessed by His Majesty in 2005 at the cattle brye-Swaziland’s highest traditional parliament. Defying courts orders is not new in Swaziland.

In 2002, the Prime Minister in line released a press statement that government was not going to respect courts judgments. This was on 28 September, over the kaMkhweli/Macetjeni chieftaincy disputes. This resulted in the en masse resignation of judges. With the PM’s return to politics in 2008, the judiciary lapsed into unprecedented level of crisis. No one from the ruling elite is willing to restore the dignity of the judiciary. Attempts by then Minister for Justice Reverend David Matse led to his axing. The Swazi judiciary is a hot potato only on the laps of ordinary citizens, the Swazi dalits who only deserve to have their homes demolished.

In Swaziland, one does not remember years by date but by the year of the Kontjingila chieftaincy disputes that led to a blood-curdling war ; by the year the people of Macetjeni were deposed by government trucks to differents parts of the country; by the November 28 statement. And now, we will not remember Swaziland by the year a multi-billion airport was built on the flying face of poverty or the stealing of citizens’ money through circulars but by the heartless eviction of the people of Nokwane.

We will remember it by the silence of people such as MP Jan Sithole who ran his election campaign as the embodiment of liberal hopes. Yes, he ran as the embodiment of liberal electoral aspirations, and now he stands as the emblem of the limitations in those aspirations.

The Nokwane eviction is a clear graphic case of how people not related to the monarchy are treated in a kingdom praised as the African pulpit. This incidence speaks volumniously of how the 1973 decree together with the coronation of King Mswati III have relegated the Swazi people to mere spectators of the political game.

The king is indeed a lion in the true sense and the people true subjects. Swaziland connotes numerous meanings to the people at the lowest ebb of the social ladder. Over the years, voices calling for regime change has increased. In retaliation, the government unleashed the security forces and the courts on all dissenting voices. Two options await Mswati’s critics inside gaol : life long sentence or death.

PUDEMO President Mario Masuku and SWAYOCO president are living testimonies of the scathing claws of the Swazi government. The Prime Minister in line, Dr Sibusiso Dlamini stated that the use of bastinado might be an answer to these people seen as the enemies of the state. He also urged chiefs to strangle them. There is no freedom in Swaziland. Journalists are threatened every day and Judge Mpendulo Simelane, a novice and inexperienced judge, unconstitutional appointed has vowed to teach local scribes one or two lesson. I and my colleague expect the same treatment from his lordship.

Khayelihle Simelane, a former University of Swaziland student. He studied towards a degree in BA Humanities, majoring in History and Theology, Religious Studies.

Sub-SaharaPost author

Posted by Mbulelo Ndlangamandla at Thursday, October 02, 2014

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