01 February 2002
Today, about 120 activists from the SACP, COSATU, the ANC Youth League, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, the SA NGO Coalition and the SA Students' Congress picketed and submitted a memorandum of demands to Mr. John Malingas, the Vice Consul of the Swaziland Consulate in Johannesburg.
The key demand was a call for the release of Mario Masuku, the President of the People's United Democratic Movement in Swaziland, who is currently undergoing a political trial under the despotic regime of King Mswati.
The picketers also announced further action against the Swazi government to be held as follows:
The memorandum submitted to the Swazi Consulate is attached herein.
Memorandum to the Swazi Consulate Demanding the Release of Pudemo President Mario Masuku
The people of Swaziland have consistently demonstrated their firm and unequivocal commitment to democracy and peaceful change, in the midst of state provocation, royal propaganda, army and police brutality and the whole system of institutionalised terror of the ruling tinkhundla regime in the country.
The only answer the people of Swaziland could get for their demand for democracy is torture, arrests and political persecution in general including the arrest of PUDEMO President +IBM- Cde MARIO Masuku. These are not new charges against Cde Masuku. In 1990, the whole underground leadership of PUDEMO were detained and charged with the same charges in the now famous TREASON TRIAL, where PUDEMO first developed a public face from the underground. This is a practical demonstration of the resoluteness of the movement for democracy in the country, particularly PUDEMO as a movement that has gone through the trials and tribulations of history in pursuit of freedom and democracy in Swaziland. Despite all these, the regime of King Mswati still refuses to recognise the legitimate aspirations of the Swazi people.
In this regard, the South African Communist Party together with the Swaziland Solidarity Network supports the call by the majority of the people of Swaziland and all progressive people throughout the world, for democratic change and political freedom in Swaziland. We further take this opportunity to call on all international bodies, particularly the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the Commonwealth, the United Nations, the Non-aligned Movement and all other such influential forums to pressurise the Swaziland government.
We therefore support the following demands of the people of Swaziland:
We call upon King Mswati to respond immediately to these demands or face the might of the international movement for democracy, which brought down even the most brutal of regimes in the world, apartheid South Africa being an example. We shall ensure the intensification of international pressure against King Mswati and his government until the people of Swaziland are able to enjoy their basic human rights like all other peoples of the civilised world.
This is a call which is echoed by all democratic forces of the world. This is not just in the interests of the oppressed people of Swaziland only, but in the interests of international and particularly, regional peace. All humanity must do something practical NOW to help bring to an end the suffering of the Swazi people.
For more information contact
Cde Mazibuko Jara
Cell no: 083 651 0271
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
E-mail: sacp1@wn.apc.org
or
Cde Bongani Masuku
Cell no: 072 258 3600
Secretary General - Swaziland Solidarity Network
E-mail: ssn@union.org.za