Letter of Support for the Democratic Struggle of the People of Swaziland

ATTENTION: The King and Government of Swaziland

We support the just struggles of the people of Swaziland - under the umbrella of the Swaziland Democratic Alliance (SDA), and led by the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) and the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) - for freedom, justice and democracy.

We demand an end to the repression and harassment of the workers and the people of Swaziland, and of their organisations.

We call upon the King and Government of Swaziland to enter into immediate and meaningful dialogue with all democratic forces within Swaziland through the SDA, and in particular with the SFTU and PUDEMO. We support the demand of the people of Swaziland for a peaceful transformation to democracy through urgent social dialogue.

In particular, we make the following demands:

• immediate repeal of all legislation preventing the free exercise of trade union rights;

• new legislation to normalise the operation of trade unions in line with ILO conventions;

• immediate measures to address the 27 demands of the SFTU;

• immediate repeal of the 1973 decree outlawing democracy and opposition parties;

• immediate repeal of the 1998 Swazi Administration Order under which mass rural evictions have been carried out;

• immediate repeal of the 60 Days' Detention Order, allowing detention without trial, and of the Sedition Law;

• immediate return of the victims of evictions to their homes and lands;

• the establishment of a democratically elected National Assembly to agree on constitutional reform and lead the process of transformation to democracy.

 

SIGNED:

 

ORGANISATION:

 

DATE: