As we reach the end of 2008, it seemed appropriate to make some kind of balance of the year… but I must be true to the fact the I know very little about what is going on around the world, and that most of the events taking place worldwide exceed the limits of my critical thinking… At the same time and on the same basis, making a balance of my personal life seems somewhat ignorant and insensitive so, instead, I chose to make a plead to the few readers that bump into this blog.
As I look back only a couple of months, I remember people in many corners of the world celebrating Obama’s election and Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, together with the forecoming 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. In the midst of celebrations and reminiscences of victorious freedom fights, we still find around the globe countless cases of oppression, imperialism, racism, ethnic cleansing, genocide and so on (attempting to name all the evils would be too pretentious). Just in the last 24hs, Israel has bombed the Gaza strip causing more than 230 people to lose their lives and 700 injured. Meanwhile, I type yahoo.com on my web browser and I find that the “featured” articles include titles such as: 3 losses & a hair-raiser, Best new cars for the money and Toddler retells ‘Star Wars’. Yeah, ok, somewhere down there was a link to a news article on the conflict, but… seriously?!?
What comes to my mind, too, as I recall all the celebrations around Madiba’s 90th birthday, is the fact that South Africa neighbouring country, Swaziland, is going through a political, economical and social crisis. One that has been going on for many years, but which has been worsening during the past years. However, little do we hear in the international press. We celebrate the liberation of South Africa but we fail to hear (and respond to) the desperate cry of the Swazi nation against the minority oppressive and exploitative tinkhundla rule. In the last months a series of bombings to government buildings (like one of the King’s palaces) have determined the passing of a Suppression of Terrorism Act (read: a suppression of freedom of expression) that is now used as an excuse to arrest any person who represents a threat to the rule of Swaziland’s absolute monarch and his family. Such was the case of Mario Masuku, of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), who was arrested on charges of terrorism and later charged with sedition (more on this here).
One would think (or at least I would like to think) that more than a decade after the people of South Africa attained their freedom, the survival of an oppressive regime in Southern Africa, such as that of King Mswati III, would be unsustainable.
What are we doing wrong?
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As we arrive to the end of the year 2008, I ask you to sign the online petition to release Masuku, and to support the Swazi nation in their struggle for freedom and a multi-party democratic government.
The petition reads:
‘Mario Masuku is the President of the Peoples’ United Democratic Movement – Insika Yenkhululeko YeMaswati – of Swaziland. For 25 years this organisation has been banned in Swaziland because political parties are illegal. PUDEMO has called for multi-party democracy since its formation, it believes a government should be of the people and for the people.
‘After 25 years of struggle the royal family (the Dlamini clan of king Mswati III) has now forced government to label this organisation “terrorist” and Mario Masuku has been detained without charge since Saturday November 15th.
‘We of Swaziland and the international community call for the immediate release of Mario Masuku. We urge the government of Swaziland to begin sincere negotiations with civil society, political organisations, and unions so that all in the nation can prosper and reach their potential. We are shocked that the king has declared war on the people of Swaziland. We do attribute the escalating violence to his decision to use force rather than dialogue.’
