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‘ESWATINI VIOLENCE POINTS TO ESCALATION OF TENSIONS’

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MBABANE – Namibia President Dr Hage Geingob says it is regrettable that there have been ongoing and sporadic acts of violence in Eswatini that point to an escalation of the tensions.

Dr Geingob was speaking during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit in his capacity as the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. The summit was held in Windhoek, Namibia yesterday where Eswatini was represented by Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini.

Regrettable

Dr Geingob said it was regrettable that while the region was focused on assisting Eswatini to find and implement peaceful solutions to the challenges faced, there had been ongoing and sporadic acts of violence in the kingdom that pointed to an escalation of the tensions. The chairperson highlighted that several days ago they received the sad news that the people of Eswatini lost a prominent opposition political activist of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF), by the name of Thulani Rudolf Maseko, who was assassinated. He noted that in his capacity as chairperson of the Organ, he issued a statement calling for a swift, transparent and comprehensive investigation so that the culprits could be brought to book. Dr Geingob highlighted that following reports of civil unrest and violent disturbances in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the then Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, deployed an Organ Troika fact-finding mission to the country on July 3-4, 2021.

Engagements

“Follow-up engagements were conducted by my immediate predecessor, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, who, among other initiatives, undertook a working visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini in November 2021. “Subsequently, in November 2022, I paid a courtesy call on His Majesty King Mswati III after I assumed the chair of the Organ,” he said. He added that their regional commitment as SADC had always been to address inter and intra-State conflicts by peaceful means. He said in this spirit, these initiatives were aimed at obtaining a clearer understanding of the causes and impact of the civil unrest, and to consult key stakeholders on possible solutions to the prevailing challenges. On another note, the chairperson highlighted that as the new year had begun, he hoped that it would be the year of the region’s revival.

He said revival in the SADC context was about their region’s economic, political and security renaissance, regeneration, revitalisation and restoration. Geingob said as leaders of SADC were seized with the well-being and welfare of close to 400 million citizens, they were called upon to reinvent new approaches to find solutions to old problems that had been troubling the region for so long. He highlighted to have stated on a previous occasion that without peace, development could not take place and without development they could not achieve shared prosperity for their citizens. The chairperson said for that reason, it was incumbent upon them, the leaders of SADC, and in particular of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, to take decisive action in addressing issues of insecurity in the region.

He also mentioned that the time had come for them to dare to reinvent innovative strategies and pursue novel ways and means, to find lasting solutions to their political and security challenges. He said in the same vein, they were also called upon to prepare and empower their people for the journey to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Dr Geingob said thus, the steps for revitalisation and innovation in the political, economic and scientific and many other spheres in all the SADC countries, should be undertaken.

Development

He said by so doing, they would shape the future of the region as a cutting-edge region of peace, stability, development and progress, as per the goals of the Vision 2050 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030. “Therefore, we will become the makers and masters of our destiny in SADC,” he said. Dr Geingob told the SADC leaders that they shall achieve the high goals of becoming a peaceful, inclusive and middle to high income industrialised region where all citizens enjoy economic prosperity, justice and liberty. He urged them then to be mindful of their cultural, linguistic and geographic differences, continue to hold hands as brothers and sisters of the SADC region and through deliberate and resolute strategies and actions, bring about extraordinary renaissance of the region.

Meanwhile, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi said peace, security and political stability were the foundation for socio-economic development. He said it was for this reason that the region continued to pay particular focus on strengthening political cooperation and enhancing democracy, good governance, the rule of law, human rights and human security in line with the SADC Vision 2050. Magosi said to this effect, the region continued to register successes in consolidating democracy and good governance. He applauded the Organ chairperson (Dr Geingob) for his exemplary leadership in guiding the work of the Organ, including the deployment of the SADC Election Observation Missions in the Republic of Angola in August 2022, and the Kingdom of Lesotho in October 2022, leading to successful elections and peaceful transfer of power in both countries.

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