Home | Feature | A MAN’S WORD IS HIS HONOUR

A MAN’S WORD IS HIS HONOUR

06/07/2017 08:32:00 By Vusi Kunene

Font size:

As a country, we are appearing before the Working Group of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights tomorrow.

This is a covenant we voluntarily entered into as a country. But we know that the kingdom has been failing to file reports and appear before the working group until now where we are somehow forced to appear. It is good though that we will appear as it will help the country to know how it stands when it comes to civil and political rights of its people.
As the country appears before another United Nations treaty body, I would, however, like to remind government on what transpired before another United Nations mechanism, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). On May 10, 2016 the country, led by Minister Edgar Hillary, appeared before the Working Group of the UPR where the minister and his team indicated that government had put in place innovative programmes that targeted vulnerable groups to rectify social imbalances. With what happened recently in Parliament, regarding LGBTIs, I wonder if there are any of these innovative programmes or we are yet to see them.

How can we have a programme when the Legislature is still not accepting that we have such a vulnerable group?
In my opinion LGBTIs were not even invited to make presentations but their issue was debated and decided without involving them. This is the case most of the time. Government has a tendency of doing things without involving the relevant stakeholders. Minister Hillary told the Working Group that the report they were presenting was a result of a process that involved setting up a multi-stakeholder committee tasked with collecting data, holding consultations and conducting verification processes. As someone who was involved in the UPR process, I would like to ask the minister if this was true?

The multi-stakeholder committee, we are told, was chaired by the Ministry of Justice and included several ministries, academia and non-governmental organisations. A meeting was held where stakeholders reflected on the universal periodic review process and discussed national experiences and progress made with respect to the recommendations. Countries like Nigeria and Togo commended the country on this.

Representation

Minister, is your conscious clear on this? Was there representation of the non-governmental organisations when the meeting took place? Was there ever a meeting of this kind? If there was, why were people who were working on the UPR and had engaged with different ministries on the UPR not invited?
Government must also be aware that the countries which the presentation is made to also do their research on what is happening in the country. The United Nations mechanisms allow civil society to submit what is known as shadow reports. That means the countries also have some facts on the situation on the ground. An example is that in the report, government had mentioned that regarding the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, in addition to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the country had undertaken commitments under a number of other instruments.

Botswana mentioned that despite this presentation, they noted reports on the high rate of gender inequality. Australia complained on the prevalence of violence against women.
The minister stated that the Constitution guaranteed the right to freedom of expression, including the right to free media, subject to respect and dignity of others. I am not sure of the truth of the full exercise of such rights by the citizens of this country. He mentioned that the Swaziland Communications Commission Act was to liberalise the media space and allow the licensing of community radios and television stations.

Freedom

When people are still arrested and prosecuted for wearing T-shirts with certain inscriptions one wonders where is the freedom of expression the minister was talking about. When community radios are licenced only for a few days to broadcast certain events, where is the liberalisation?
I am not the only one concerned about this as the minister is also aware that countries like the USA, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Portugal, Burkina Faso, Brazil, etc, were also concerned about the restrictions on these rights of the people.

The world was told that the country continues to be committed to ensuring that the human rights of its people were respected. I wonder if this is what our government will also say tomorrow when they appear before the ICCPR? A man’s word is his honour minister. This holds true not only for you as a person but also the government you are representing in this forums. Speak the truth and keep to your word, and we will believe you. But if what you say is not true, no one will have faith in you as a person or the government you represent.