ABOUT 1 000 SUDF MEMBERS PETITION PM

MANZINI – Once again, Manzini was painted red as organisations fighting for democracy held another peaceful march to table seven demands to Prime Minister (PM) Ambrose Dlamini.

The march was organised by Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), which is an umbrella organisation for associations fighting for democracy in the country and it was attended by about 1 000 people.

Among their demands, the organisations demanded multi-party elections in 2023, arrest of ritual killers in Parliament and communities today and creation of at least 5 000 new quality jobs for the youth per year in the next five years.

They also demanded land legislation and policy reform to give full ownership over land to emaSwati so as to stop the rampant evictions of people in communities and in farms. Again, they called upon the PM to ensure that there was free secondary and high school education by 2020 and that all deserving students in tertiary institutions of learning were given study loans.

Furthermore, they said even though they applauded the enactment of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018, gender inequalities remained a matter of concern in society. On that note, they demanded increased protection and support for women and the girl child guaranteed by relevant legal tools.

They also called upon government to ensure that textile workers and security guards were accorded safe and conducive working conditions and competitive salaries so that they could lead dignified lives.
Regarding the demand for multi-party elections, the organisations said they wanted a government that would be elected by them, responsive to their needs and accountable to only the people.

Tinkhundla

They argued that they had observed that the Tinkhundla system of governance was not a government for the people of Eswatini.
Their argument was that as it were, it would be striving to take into consideration the needs of the general people of Eswatini above anything and everything else.

“What we have witnessed on a daily basis even now during your tenure always confirms that the government is only for a special type of emaSwati,” the organisations said in the petition directed to the PM.

On another note, they said almost every election year, the nation lived in fear of being killed for ritual purposes by people who believed in such to be successful.
To begin with, they said this was a traditional belief that had been perpetuated to this far by the insufficiency of the country’s electoral system and the criteria by which people were appointed to positions of power.

“It is saddening that while so many people have been killed over the years, the statistics are not matched by arrests. Some of these people are now supposedly in Parliament and live in our society. We therefore demand the arrest of ritual killers in Parliament and communities today,” reads part of the petition.

unemployment

Furthermore, they argued that the rate of unemployment in the country was shocking; at a staggering 42 per cent and at 55 per cent for the youth. They said this was because the government was allegedly failing to invest in job creation and to provide an enabling environment for investment. “We therefore demand 5 000 new quality jobs for the youth per year in the next five years,” they said.

Again, the organisations said the poverty statistics of the country were to the effect that over 63 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. They said this was because the country had a high number of young people who derived support and guardianship and they formed the majority of the poor.

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