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.

1. maj arrangement stoppet af Swazilands politi

Det er langt fra alle lande, hvor utilfredse borgere kan tillade sig at buhe landets statsminister, og andre ledende medlemmer af regeringspartierne, af scenen 1. maj.

I Swaziland må man ikke engang fejre 1. maj. Landets regime stoppede tidligere i dag  fagbevægelsen fra at afholde 1. maj, ved systematisk at sætte lederne af landets politiske partier og fagbevægelsen under husarrest, samt arrestere mange andre almindelige mennesker. Da præsidenten for landets største politiske parti, Mario Masuku fra PUDEMO, og præsidenten og generalsekretæren for landets fagbevægelse, TUCOSWA, forsøgte at deltage i et 1. maj arrangement, blev de således alle arresteret.

Den 1. maj 2010 blev et ungt PUDEMO-medlem, Sipho Jele arresteret for at bære en t-shirt

People from around the world want to Free Wonder

Since the campaign to Free Wonder Mkhonza started on April 16, hundreds of people from around the world have petitioned Swaziland’s government to free him.

Trade unionist and pro-democracy activist Wonder Mkhonza was detained by Swazi police on Friday April 12 and later charged with sedition for being in possession of 5000 political pamphlets.

Nearly 400 people from Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, neighbouring South Africa and Africa in general, and as far away as the USA and Australia, have petitioned for his release in the first couple of days of the campaign. Many have left messages of support.

Swazi regime detain PUDEMO member for handling pamphlets on state of emergency anniversary

Wonder Mkhonza, National Organising Secretary of the banned Swazi political party the People’s United Democratic Movement and Secretary General of the Swaziland Processing Allied Workers Union was detained on Friday April 12, allegedly for being in possession of 5000 PUDEMO pamphlets.

The democratic movement in Swaziland was marking the 40th anniversary of the state of emergency and banning of all political parties in 1973 by King Sobhuza II in 1973 when Mkhonza was detained by police at Lavumisa, a small town near the South African border.

According to PUDEMO, Wander Mkhonza is currently under police detention in Nhlangano

Enhedslistens demokrati-projekt med PUDEMO er i gang

Efter at en projektansøgning til Institut for Flerpartidemokrati (DIPD) blev godkendt i slutningen af februar, er Enhedslistens projekt med partiet People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), ”Strengthening the capacity of PUDEMO Swaziland”, nu i gang. PUDEMO er et politisk parti eller -bevægelse i et enevældigt kongedømme, hvor alle partier er forbudt og al opposition til kongen brutalt undertrykkes.

Målet med DIPD-projektet er, som projektets titel antyder, i første omgang at styrke PUDEMO’s kapacitet til at kunne blive en mere synlig og troværdig politisk kraft i og uden for Swaziland.

PUDEMO bliver medlem af Socialistisk Internationale

People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Swazilands største oppositionsparti, blev i februar medlem af Socialistisk Internationale (SI) efter at have deltaget i SIs forårskonference i Portugal. Socialistisk Internationale har 162 medlemmer fra hele verden, herunder de danske Socialdemokrater.

“Dette er en vigtig milepæl i vores kamp for et demokratisk Swaziland,” skrev PUDEMO i en pressemeddelelse onsdag. ”Vores optagelse i denne revolutionære familie giver befolkningen i Swaziland håb for, at de ikke er alene i kampen for et demokratisk Swaziland”.

Danish party to support PUDEMO’s struggle for democracy in Swaziland

Representatives of the Danish party, the Red-Green Alliance, met with the leadership and other representatives of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) in November. The Danes met with PUDEMO-president, Mario Masuku, representatives of the trade federation TUCOSWA, and an array of other people from the democratic movement in Swaziland.

“Swaziland has an absurd political system where all power is vested in the king,” says Thomas Eisler. He is part of the Red-Green Alliance’s Swaziland-group who visited Swaziland in November, and has held several high-ranking posts within the party’s administration.