AN observer mission from the African Union which monitored the elections, has expressed concern about the detaining of union leaders during the Ngwenya border blockade last Thursday.
The mission, in its preliminary report, noted that the detaining of the unionists was a shortcoming and needed to be dealt with as the country embraced democracy.
It was noted that the constitution had enshrined in it freedom of expression thus the detaining of the unionists was an infringement of their right to express themselves.
"We have taken note that some people were detained whilst attending the blockade organised by trade unions to contest the holding of elections under the prevailing circumstances.
"This shortcoming and other issues pertaining to the wider political environment would need to be addressed to strengthen the democratic culture in Swaziland," the team stated at a press briefing held at Matsapha Inn.
Jan Sithole of SFTU, SNAT Secretary General Dominic Nxumalo and Sibongile Mazibuko were some of the unionists who were detained by the police and went through interrogation whilst attending the blockade.
The African Union team comprised four teams of two persons each that was dispatched to the four Regions of Swaziland.
The team observed the elections on Friday and thereafter the counting of votes at different polling stations on Saturday.
"The people of Swaziland have exercised their right to vote in a peaceful and orderly atmosphere. Most of the polling stations opened on time, however, the Observer Mission noted some delays in few stations visited.
"This was due to the late arrival of election materials, candidates and/or their agents. The polling officers showed professionalism and worked round the clock, at times in difficult conditions e.g. the overcrowded rooms. They knew the procedures and interacted with the voters and other stakeholders at all times. The procedures regarding the closing of the polls were complied with at the stations where we were present," said Ochieng Gilbert Mbeo who spoke on the AU Observer Mission team's behalf.
The secrecy of the ballot was more or less assured in most of the polling stations visited according to the team.
Not withstanding the shortcomings listed above, the AU team said its overall assessment was that the 2008 Legislative Elections were well conducted.
His team also met with members of political formations and civil society representatives.
LAVUMISA- Heavy security ensured free flow of traffic at Lavumisa border gate.
Arriving at the gate at around 7:30am yesterday this publication saw three South African registered trucks entering the country without any disturbances.
This was despite the fact that local unions had announced that they would be staging blockades on all major border gates.
On this side of the country there was none of such and this was also confirmed by the South African Police Service, Golela Post Commander Mponsthane who told this publication that they did not expect any protest action in the area as there was no instrument allowing COSATU members to stage a protest action anywhere next to Golela/Pongola.
"We have only received correspondence that permission was only granted for the Mpumalanga Province," he said.
A few minutes after the interview a white kombi was stopped by members of the Royal Swaziland Police Service at a roadblock mounted 800m from the border and it emerged that it had members of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) led by their mouthpiece Sphasha Dlamini.
This did not go down well with the officers at the roadblock who ordered the kombi to make a u-turn to where it had taken the group. At first Dlamini and her fellow comrades resisted the order but later obliged.
Immediately as the kombi left the area it was closely followed by a blue police van.
A few minutes later another kombi registered SD 672 MS was stopped at the roadblock and likewise it was discovered that it also had a group of would-be – protesters, which unlike the other was told to offload its passengers and make a u-turn to Matata in Big Bend while the passengers were questioned by the members of the police service.
Mad cow cop at Ngwenya
BY SWAZI NEWS REPORTER
NGWENYA- An overzealous police officer manhandled a journalist who was doing his job during the ‘operation combat the blockade’.
The mad cow officer was trying hard probably to gain recognition from the promoting authority from his place of work obviously to save him from the misery of being a junior police officer.
He almost broke the Swazi News camera as he tried but in vain to prevent this newspaper from taking pictures of the apprehended SWAYOCO President Wandile Dludlu.
He tried grabbing the camera but he failed and he started shouting all sort of unprintable words to our reporter.
The mad cow cop attracted attention when he threatened Dludlu, stating that he was ready to use force if he refused to get into a police car.
Earlier on he had tried to prevent freelance journalist, Lunga Masuku from proceeding to Ngwenya. He mistook him for the protesters.
The cop showed signs of being bloodthirsty and it was unfortunate for him that no one was up for a fight against him thus moving around causing some uncalled for confrontations.
Bogus pregnancies by some protesters
LAVUMISA: Some female protesters disguised as pregnant women in order to evade police interrogation.
This trend was noticed at Lavumisa where a group of disguising female protesters was caught by cops on their tracks when they were found to be amongst those in one of the kombis destined for Lavumisa Border gate.
Even though police were not concerned with the state the people who were boarding the kombis were in, they were only watchful of separating innocent members of the public from the protesters.
One of the women who had a visible bulging stomach when asked by the officers as to where she was destined to became arrogant and only told the officers she was travelling but does not know her destination.
Upon realising that this woman was part of those planning to stage a protest action the police decided to isolate her from the group while others where being questioned about their planned action.
Some of the women who had planned to take part in the protest when interviewed, pleaded with this publication not to identify them but confirmed that they normally wrap clothes with a kanga modelling a ball, which is then inserted under their t-shirts.
"Even if the police beat you when they realise that you are pregnant they don’t become too aggressive," one of the protesters revealed.
Teargas used at Mahamba
MAHAMBA- Close to 50 Shiselweni textile factory workers were sprayed with teargas and bashed by a joint group of OSSU members and Correctional department officers.
The group comprised female Zheng Yong staff members who left Nhlangano town centre in three buses and two kombis headed for Mahamba border to stage a blockade at around 9am.
As one of the buses was stopped at a roadblock mounted a kilometre from the border, the protesters started singing and were ordered to alight from the bus before police issued an instruction to the driver to take all his passengers back to town as they were not allowed to stage any protest anywhere near the border.
It was gathered that upon realising that the group was not heeding the orders, the police are reported to have fired numerous teargas canisters.
When reached for comment Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) deployee in the Shiselweni region Wonder Mkhonza confirmed the attack on the protesters.
"We don’t know how many of the comrades were injured but we are still compiling a report as some of them are still being treated," he said.
Cops kill blockade at Ngwenya
MBABANE-Security forces led by the police prevented hundreds of labour and political formations workers from crossing into South Africa where they were to attend a boarder blockade.
The police who were at the boarder as early as 5 am made it a point that none of the known political activists crossed into South Africa to join COSATU on the boarder blockade.
The workers were apprehended and taken into police vans and scattered all over the country, in a desperate bid to make it a point that they do not assembly.
Others were dumped in Mbabane, others in some forests at Nkhaba while their leaders were taken on a six-hour hell ride across the country.
The police had mounted a robust roadblock just before Ngwenya. They were forcing everyone out of their cars, demanding to know their destinations.
PUDEMO President, Mario Masuku was driven back to his house by the police who also sold him the same story that they were protecting him.
SWAYOCO President, Wandile Dludlu felt the wrath of an overzealous police who grabbed him shortly after alighting from the kombi and forced him into a police sedan.
Jan, union leaders locked in cops’ vans for six hours
By SIHLE MAVUSO
MBABANE - About 10 progressive groups members and labour movement leaders were taken on a six-hour hell ride by members of the Royal Swaziland Police force hours before the foiled boarder blockade on Thursday.
Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) Secretary General, Jan Sithole, Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Dominique Nxumalo and member, Sibongile Mabuza, PUDEMO’s Jerome Shongwe and others were bundled into two police and correctional services vans upon arrival at Ngwenya border where they were to meet with their members.
They were taken on a cross-country ride with their knees resting on their chests given the sitting arrangement at the back of the vans. It was unbearable, they claim.
Bundled
They were bundled into the vans shortly after their arrival at Ngwenya Boarder Post where they were to also meet with their South African counterparts from COSATU in staging the blockade.
Of interest was that police opted to drive with them through Pigg’s Peak via the Madlangempisi road to Manzini from Ngwenya. Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Vusi Masuku said this was done for security reasons. This newspaper wanted to know the rationale behind taking a longer route to Manzini.
Narrating the ordeal, Sithole said it was a torturing experience. Sithole said they were not even allowed to respond to the call of nature until they were at Pigg’s Peak Correctional Services where they were ushered into a prison toilet like criminals.
"They loaded us into a van at Ngwenya where we were kept for over an hour inside. We asked to be taken to the toilet but they refused. Instead they drove with us to Motshane where they stopped for over 30 minutes and not attending to our requests," he said.
He added that from there they were taken to Pigg’s Peak Correctional Services where after sometime they were allowed to go to the toilet. "From there we were taken into the cars again and they drove us through a dirty road in the plantations. It was hot in the back and no one cared about how we felt," said Sithole in a low tone.
He said moments later when he peeped through he noticed that they were at Mandlangemphisi where they took the main road to Manzini. "We were taken to the Manzini Regional head quarters where we were asked a few questions and released. To us this was a clear indication that government has total disregard of human life. How would you expose us to such unbearable conditions when you claim to be a caring government," he said.
United Democratic Front (UDF) chief, Barnes Dlamini said they were not taking the actions of the police lightly. He said they will take the matter up with government and they would not rest until justice is done.
Other political formations members were dumped in some forests at Nkhaba after they were apprehended by the police on their way to Ngwenya Boarder Gate. They were rescued by a vehicle from SUFIAWU. On the other side of the fence, about 100 or so COSATU members converged but their presence did not affect the flow of traffic. Things were generally normal.
Questioning
Police PRO Masuku said Sithole and the others were not arrested per se but were taken for questioning in Manzini following their threats to close or block the country’s boarders.
He said they would not have allowed Sithole and the other protestors to close the internationally gazetted entry and exit point because that would be violating international laws.
Speaking on the route the police used to Manzini, Masuku said: "Police had to use an alternative route to Manzini because they were trying to avoid a confrontation with the other protestors who were coming to the boarder".
He explained that the protestors were rounded up before they could fulfil their mission and they were taken to Manzini to answer on why they had to go against warnings from the head of government about the boarder blockade.
Masuku said allegations that they confiscated the union leaders’ cellphones were not related to the truth. "It’s all lies," he said emphatically.
Swaziland's banned political groups on Friday condemned the kingdom's political system as Africa's last absolute monarchy went to the poll.
Lawmakers will be elected under a new Constitution that allows freedom of association but still bars political parties, meaning candidates can run as individuals but not as party representatives.
The run-up to the poll saw protests, border blockades and calls for multiparty elections.
"Pudemo sees this election as a window-dressing exercise trying to pull wool over the eyes of the international community," said Mario Masuku, of the banned People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo).
"We urge the international community to intensify the pressure on the Swazi government so that it embraces democratisation," he said.
Lucky Lukhele, spokesperson of the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), told the Mail & Guardian Online that the elections will change "absolutely nothing" and leave King Mswati III in power.
On Friday, the SSN, together with organisations such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Young Communist League, the African National Congress Youth League and Pudemo, organised a demonstration at the Swazi embassy in Pretoria.
"We organised this demonstration to protest against the sham elections," Lukhele said. "Swaziland is not even close to democracy. Political parties are banned, there are still people in exile, people were arrested, [and are under] house arrest."
"Even the elections in Zimbabwe were better. You can't have an election when the king is above the Constitution," he said.
Lukhele questioned what international election observers were doing in Swaziland, saying: "There is nothing to observe there."
He said 70% of Swazi people live below the poverty line and 40% are living with HIV/Aids. "The people in Swaziland are pushed into a corner. In the end, the only option is to fight. It's a scary idea for many, but we don't blame them."
He didn't believe many people would vote in Friday's election. "Ordinary people will rather go to work or stay at home, they don't believe in these elections."
According to Lukhele, only those who are close to the royal family would vote, as would those who were forced by their chiefs, who are instructed by the king.
Jan Sithole, of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, accused the Southern African Development Community (SADC) of "double standards" in its advocacy of democracy.
SADC observer mission spokesperson Joao Ndlovu said the team had seen a peaceful environment without intimidation.
"If you do not understand the Swazi electoral system, you would say there was no election going on," he said. "The vibrancy that is seen in most parts of the world during elections is not there in Swaziland. Maybe that is caused by the absence of political parties where rallies would be held."
Ndlovu rejected the accusation of double standards.
The Pan African Parliament mission called for change in the country.
"The non-participation of political parties makes these elections extraordinary from any others ... but we hope with time things will change," said mission head Mary Mugyenyi.
"What we see here is people choosing their leaders to represent them in Parliament. They are not from any political parties," she said.
