Africa: Swaziland protests repressed
Swaziland protests repressed
afrol News, 18 March 2011 – About 10.000 protesters demanding democracy in the totalitarian kingdom of Swaziland faced a police force “Armed to the teeth” and blocked all roads leading to the city of Manzini. “The worst predictions about today's demonstration demanding democracy in Swaziland, called by the unions and the democratic movement in an attempt to protest against the planned cuts in public spending and wages, unfortunately, have come true”, ha declarado and afrol News Peter Kenworthy, Contact group's Swaziland Africa. According to representatives of the Campaign for Democracy in Swaziland (SDC), as part of the manifestations, security forces are blocking the streets of Manzini, “armed to the teeth and armored vehicles”. Security forces were also “visible and were heavily armed” in “all over the country”, precisó Kenworthy, Protest organizer today. The government of King Mswati III of Swaziland seems to have been well prepared for the demonstrations against his increasingly unpopular anti-democratic policies and wage cuts to staff, deploying a 20.000 members of the security forces around Manzini. Mary Pais Da Silva y Sikelela Dlamini, portavoces SDC, also believe that security forces have been instructed to “smash show people using brutal and deadly force”. It is estimated 10.000 demonstrators faced blockades and intimidation by the police, but they became discouraged, Da Silva and according Dlamini. “No brutality will distract us from our goal: multiparty democracy”, say. Meanwhile, protesters in Manzini – the largest city in Swaziland and an important center i
ndustrial – report a “good atmosphere” among themselves, chanting slogans against the government. However, fear of imminent police brutality. In a letter sent yesterday to afrol News, the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF) – umbrella organization for the democratic forces in Swaziland – insisted that “It is time for a regime change. We call on the international community to heed our call to impose sanctions against selective and intelligent Tinkhundla regime until our demands are met”. In another press release, National Union of Students of Swaziland was even more explicit in stating that “demand for its protest action tomorrow is the resignation of the government and the immediate establishment of a transitional government should develop, in consultation with our people, one fair democratic constitution that will lead to free and democratic elections”. In the past, mass protests in Swaziland, such as “Global Day of Action” September 2010, They resulted in acts of violence by the police and armed forces Swaziland, según Kenworthy. Swaziland is, officially, a middle-income, but the difference in income and social classes in the country is enormous. The unemployment rate stands at around 50 percent, a 40 percent of the population has HIV, the average age of life is 31 years old, and two thirds of the population live on less than one dollar a day. In the meantime, a small minority, especially the royal family, live in luxury. Por staff writer |
