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EUROPEAN PARLY TO EU: REVIEW FINANCIAL AID TO ESWATINI

17/02/2023 07:50:00 Nonduduzo Kunene

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MBABANE – The European Parliament (EP) has resolved for a review or suspension of financial aid to Eswatini from the European Union (EU).

This is part of the eight resolutions of the Parliament taken on Wednesday afternoon after some of its members moved a motion on violation of human rights and victimisation of human rights defenders in the country, in particular the murder of Thulani Maseko. Maseko was a Human Rights Lawyer and was gunned down about four weeks ago while at his home at KaLuhleko.

The motion in the EP was moved by the Greens/European Free Alliance, also known as Verts/ALE Group, which consists two European distinct political parties which are the European Green Party and European Free Alliance. Some of the members who represented the two parties were Michèle Rivasi from France, Francisco Guerreiro also from France and Caroline Roose from the United Kingdom, among others.

Proposal

The EP is one of the legislative bodies of the EU and one of its seven institutions. This Parliament works with the council of EU known as the Council of Ministers; it adopts European legislation, following a proposal by the European Commission. It is composed of 705 members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The current president of the EP is Roberta Metsola.

The members stated several reasons why they moved the motion for urgent attention in the Parliament. They stated that human rights and fundamental freedoms were curtailed and political parties were outlawed because Eswatini was still an absolute monarchy.

Reforms

They added that in 2021, protests demanding democratic reforms began and the Government of Eswatini launched a brutal crackdown on human rights activism, retaliating with arbitrary detentions, harassment, threats and abductions, internet shutdowns and bans on protests; whereas several dozens of people were killed by the security forces; whereas mercenaries have allegedly been hired to repress growing dissent. It should be noted that during the June 2021 unrest, violence erupted throughout the country, which led to the burning and looting of some shops.

The arrest of Members of Parliament (MPs) in Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi and Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea was also listed among the supposed violations of human rights defenders. “Whereas the security forces systematically intimidate trade unionists and violate fundamental workers’ rights; whereas the authorities have detained and allegedly tortured student union leaders; whereas other human rights problems in Eswatini include impunity for the security forces and discrimination against women and minorities.”

Resolutions

The MEPs ended up adopting eight resolutions out of the 10 that were moved. Part of the eight resolutions was the motion calling on the EU to suspend budget support programmes to Eswatini, where funds risked being diverted for activities which may lead to human rights abuses and target pro-democracy and human right advocates, and to consider opening a procedure under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement in this respect. The Parliament adopted the motion which was then added to the eight resolutions.

The members strongly condemned the killing of Thulani Maseko. Maseko was the Chairperson of Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) and was shot dead on January 21, 2023, while at his parental home located in Bhunya. This was the first point in the motion which also formed part of the resolutions.

The second point of the motion was the condemnation of continuous incrimination of human rights defenders, political activists, civil society organisations and trade unions in Eswatini which also formed part of the resolutions.
In addition, a call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and to free persons arbitrarily detained was also moved by the MEPs and was adopted. The members also asked government to consider attacks on human right defenders, pro-democracy activists and the banning of trade unions to contravene commitments of Eswatini under the rule of law and human rights principles.

Investigations

The motion further called for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into the killing of Maseko, and the ongoing repression, and alleged recruitment of mercenaries from South Africa to help security forces repress opposition, and to bring those responsible to justice in fair trials, which was also adopted by the second largest Parliament after India.It should be noted that government came out to explain that it had engaged experts to assist in training security personnel on terrorism.

Furthermore, the MEPs in the motion, alleged that the Judiciary was not independent in Eswatini, hence they alleged that investigations that relate to human rights defenders should be placed under the United Nations’ (UN) supervision to ensure impartiality. However, this motion did not form part of the resolutions.

The MPs also recalled that in November 2021, King Mswati III agreed on the establishment of the national dialogue to be facilitated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). A motion that urged the authorities to initiate the dialogue without delay, an all-inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogue to restore the respect and protection of human rights, the rule of law and democracy was moved and also formed part of the resolutions. The EU was also called upon to impose sanctions against perpetrators of human rights violations in Eswatini through the Global Human Rights Sanction Mechanism, but this point was not adopted by the House.

The members also moved the motion according to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure. These rules state that a committee, an interparliamentary delegation, a political group of members reaching at least the low threshold may ask the president in writing for a debate to be held on an urgent case of a breach on human right, democracy and the rule of law.

The last point of the motion was an instruction to the president to forward resolutions that would be taken of the motion to the council, the commission, the vice president of the commission/high representative for Foreign Affairs and security policy, the Government of Eswatini, the African Union, SADC, the ACP-EU Council of Ministers and Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the Pan-African Parliament, the International Labour Organisation, and the United Nations secretary general.

The two motions that were not adopted by the Parliament were the calls for the EU to impose sanctions against perpetrators of human rights violations in Eswatini through the Global Human Rights Sanction Mechanism and the placing of investigations of human rights defenders conducted by the Eswatini Judiciary under UN supervision to ensure impartiality.

Resolutions

Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo said government had not received the resolutions of the EP. Nxumalo was asked about government’s stance on the resolutions that were taken by the EP and if government had received the resolutions as per the 10th resolution which instructed the president of the EU to forward the resolutions to government.

“The Office of the Prime Minister has not yet received the said resolutions by EP. As soon as the prime minister receives the resolutions, will familiarise himself with the contents and respond accordingly,” he said. The European Union office in Eswatini was also contacted for comment on what would be the procedures to be followed by the local office in relation to the resolutions. EU Political Assistant and Information Officer Michael Motsa was contacted at 12:14pm yesterday and requested a questionnaire which was sent at 12:40pm.

At the time this report went to print, he hadn’t responded. This is not the first time Eswatini became a centre of discussion in other parliaments as last year October, a parliamentarian in the UK moved a motion calling upon government to release the two incarcerated MPs or else they would pose a travel ban on the King and his family.

Music

Meanwhile, President of the Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) Barnes Dlamini said the resolutions of the EP Parliament were music to their ears. He said finally the work they had been putting in all these years was finally paying off. He said they had been working with the late Maseko to see such resolutions. “I have seen the resolutions and I am very happy,” he said.

Dlamini said they would make a follow-up with the local European Union office to ensure that government starts actioning. He noted that some of the resolutions like the one on the reviewing of funding would have a direct impact on emaSwati, but there was no choice. “We would rather face the hardship of the sanctions and suspended funding than walking to the grave with our eyes wide open,” he said.

Economy

The president mentioned that this past weekend, during the national prayer, there were talks that the economy was booming, which he said he disagreed with. He said the economy was booming for certain individuals but not for ordinary emaSwati. He said the statement showed that the country was too divided. He said they had been calling for the international community to step in and the death of Maseko resurrected all they had been calling for and the way forward was becoming clear.

Dlamini noted that the move by the EP was also posing a lot of challenges for emaSwati. He said there was a lot of work that needed be done internally in terms of mobilising the voices of local people before the international community reached out. He went on to state that emaSwati needed to unite and make sure that the dialogue, in particular, was convened in an agreed manner.