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SOME YOUTH PLAN TO PETITION KING

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MANZINI - The youth of the country have accepted that power to initiate and effect dialogue and political change lies with the King.

As a result, they intend to celebrate the country’s 53rd Independence on the streets; by marching to deliver a petition to the King at Lozitha Palace. This is contained in the Progressive Youth Movement’s National Youth Week of Action for Political Change and Freedom, which is scheduled to start with a freedom march to deliver a petition to the King at Lozitha Palace on September 6, 2021 and end on September 12, 2021. Meetings over the matter started on July 8, 2021.

Formations

According to an impeccable source within the movement, this plan was supported by about 15 political formations and civil society groups. He said the movement was formed after the youth led a relentless struggle for democracy, freedom and improved socio-economic conditions in the country. The insider said their struggle since the death of University of Eswatini (UNESWA) student, Thabani Nkomonye, who was suspected to have died at the hands of the police, the youth together with students then moved to petitioning Members of Parliament (MPs) in their 59 constituencies, where they demanded democratic reforms and improved service delivery. However, he said government allegedly responded with violence against the protesters who were calling for genuine dialogue and political change. This, after government suspended the delivery of the petitions. Therefore, the source said the youth agreed that there was no better time to intensify the struggle for freedom than now. He said it was after these discussions that the movement was formed. Basically, he said this movement comprised youth volunteers from various formations united to intensify and escalate the struggle for democratic change.

Volunteered

He said the movement was made up of all progressive youth organisations that had volunteered to work towards mobilising and uniting all youth formations, young people and the people of Eswatini to fight for political change. According to the insider, the movement was working towards a National Youth Day of Action for Freedom and Democracy that would see thousands of emaSwati marching from Manzini and Mbabane to Lozitha Palace to deliver a petition to the King. He said the youth, which formed the majority of the population in the country, had noticed and accepted that power lied with the King. He said according to their analysis, the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet as well as the other arms of government, allegedly had no power to initiate and effect genuine dialogue and political change.

“These arms of government do not have the power to meet with stakeholders in the country to resolve the socio-economic and political challenges,” the source said. To substantiate their claims, he said over the past years, numerous petitions, demands and protests had been delivered and staged at the PM’s Office, Cabinet and Parliament, but nothing constructive and promising came out of it. 

 

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