Protest at Swaziland border posts 12-04-07

 

Protest at Swaziland border posts - 12 April 2007

The Central Executive Committee of the Congress of South African Trade Unions resolved in February 2007 to mobilise its members to demonstrate at all the SA/Swaziland borders on 12 April 2007, from 07h00, in support of the people and trade unions of Swaziland fighting for democracy and human rights. The media are invited to witness this act of international solidarity.

The leadership and members of COSATU, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, and progressive organisation in Swaziland will therefore be holding demonstrations and blockades at the following border posts between South Africa and Swaziland in support for the oppressed people of Swaziland in their struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights:

• Oshoek Border gate (main gate, end of N17 road)
• Matsamo Border gate (Jeppes Reef)
• Lavumisa Border gate (KZN, Golela)
• Mahamba Border gate (Piet Retief)
• Mananga Border gate (near Komatipoort)

The people of Swaziland are living under a state of emergency that outlaws political parties and bans all forms of political activity. Only members of the royal family and their hangers-on have rights in Swaziland; the rest of the Swazi people are royal slaves, exploited under the tinkhundla system.

We support the demands of the people of Swaziland who have been struggling for a society based on respect for human dignity, democracy and social justice, for which they have suffered extreme police brutality and torture, and daily persecution by agents of royal rule. They have been arrested, forced into exile, thrown out of their land of birth, lost their jobs and means of livelihood, and denied opportunities in every way possible.

The people of South Africa and the rest of the world cannot stand by and watch as the Swazi people suffer the brutality of the tinkhundla royal minority regime disguised as "Swazi culture and tradition".

We shall be protesting in solidarity with the people of Swaziland and support their demand for a truly democratic society based on justice and social progress for all, free from the stranglehold of royal dictatorship.

Our demands are not separate from the demands of the struggling people of Swaziland, which are:

a.. A democratically elected National Constitutional Forum to write a legitimate and democratic constitution
b.. Unbanning of political parties
c.. Unconditional release of all political prisoners and the return of all exiles
d.. Immediate removal of all laws that prohibit free political activities and ban the rights to associate, organise and speak freely.
de Unions