PUDEMO: Valgboykot i Swaziland virker

”Valget i år i Swaziland giver ingen mening for os, for det skaber et parlament der ingen magt har. Valget er kun til for at legitimere et illegitimt regime”, fortæller generalsekretæren for People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) Skhumbuzo Phakathi under et dialogmøde om valget i Swaziland, der blev holdt i Johannesburg i sidste weekend.

PUDEMO er et politisk parti eller bevægelse i Swaziland – et enevældigt kongedømme hvor alle partier er forbudt, hvor kongen bestemmer alt, og hvor al opposition til kongen brutalt undertrykkes. Enhedslisten har et partnerskab med PUDEMO der støttes af Institut for Flerpartisamarbejde, og Skhumbuzo besøgte i denne forbindelse Enhedslisten sidste år.

Wonder Mkhonza released on bail, not free

Asked whether his imprisonment would dampen his political activism, Wonder Mkhonza replied “of course not! The threat of jail can no longer dent our spirit as we push for democracy in Swaziland.”

Wonder, who is the National Organising Secretary of Swazi liberation movement PUDEMO and Deputy General Secretary of the Swaziland Processing, Refining and Allied Workers Union (SPRAWU), spent a month in prison on charges of sedition but was released on bail yesterday. His alleged crime -  being in possession of political pamphlets.

Wonder Mkhonza granted bail

According to a statement today from PUDEMO national spokesperson, Zakhele Mabuza, Wonder Mkhonza has been granted a bail of 15 000 emalangeni, approximately 1650 US$. Wonder Mkhonza was arrested on April 12 for allegedly possessing 5000 political pamphlets, and the international ACT Now: Free Wonder Mkhonza campaign started by Africa Contact has called for his release ever since.

“This is quite a huge ransom to pay for ordinary poor Swazis who live on under $ 1 per day,” says the statement. “But Leo Gama, Wonder’s lawyer has been able to convince the court and secure the release on bail.”

PUDEMO outlines road to democracy in Swaziland during visit to Denmark

“Swaziland is a dictatorship where the king rules by decree. You should go there to see for yourselves how PUDEMO-members and those who are associated with them are treated. Conditions are worsening and the youth are becoming increasingly impatient,” Linus Mavimbela told members of Danish party the Red Green Alliance.

Linus Mavimbela, International Secretary of the banned Swazi party the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), visited Denmark between the April 25 and May 2 2013. He was meant to have been accompanied by PUDEMO’s Organising  Secretary, Wonder Mkhonza, but Wonder was symptomatically arrested by just prior to the visit, charged with sedition for allegedly being in possession of 5000 political pamphlets.

Afrika Kontakt’s generalforsamling vidner om ”styrket” organisation

”Afrika Kontakt er gået styrket ud af det nye år”, sagde Afrika Kontakts afgående forkvinde, Signe Borker Bjerre, i sin politiske beretning til generalforsamlingen. Et stærkt Afrika Kontakt er vigtigt, tilføjede hun, på grund af effekterne af den økonomiske krise i vores projektlande, samt at det civile råderum bliver stadigt forringet.

Signe Borker Bjerre fremhævede dannelsen af to nye arbejdsgrupper – Somalia-gruppen og Mozambique-gruppen, de mange nye aktive medlemmer, det succesfulde partnerskabsseminar i april, nyansættelsen af flere nye sekretariatsmedarbejdere, og den inklusive debat blandt medlemmer og partnere om Afrika Kontakts nye Plan of Action og Strategi, som vigtige årsager til denne styrkelse af foreningen.

ANC calls for the release of political prisoners in Swaziland

In a statement from Chairperson of the African National Congress NEC Sub-Committee on International Relations Obed Bapela on May 7, the ANC called for the release of all political prisoners in Swaziland.

“The democratization of Swaziland must preoccupy the work of the African National Congress and all progressive forces as we call for the release of political prisoners, return of exiles and free political activities in that country.”

The ANC has previously called for the unbanning of political parties of Swaziland without any apparent success. In October 2012, ANC Chairperson  Baleka Mbete said that “we need to make sure Swaziland is liberated including the unbanning of political parties,” and in June 2012 President Zuma’s foreign policy advisor Lindiwe Zulu said that South Africa must press Swaziland to unban political parties.

Africa Contact congratulates Polisario on 40th Anniversary

The responsibility for the failure to resolve the Western Sahara conflict “lies with the individual members of the UN,” Danish solidarity organisation Africa Contact wrote in a letter congratulating Polisario on its 40th Anniversary.

But it also lies with “all the countries – including Denmark – who either refuse to actively recognise or support Polisario and a referendum on the status of Western Sahara or who are part of sabotaging the process by e.g. allowing their companies to take part in the plundering of the resources of Western Sahara.”