10 August 2018

Swaziland’s royal family and its “monarchical democracy” to blame for the economic crisis facing the country


In the same year that the tinkhundla government of Swaziland splashed over E1 billion (about US$75 million) to celebrate Mswati’s 50th birthday, the regime has finally conceded that it is broke. Mswati’s government has thus directed that all vacant posts, including the creation of new posts and promotions across all government ministries and departments be frozen with effect from 1 August 2018.

This pronouncement was made through the Establishment Circular No. 3 of 2018 which is with effect from 1 August 2018. In terms of the circular, this state of affairs “has been necessitated by the current financial situation in the country and the cash flow problems faced by government.”

Mswati’s government makes this pronouncement as if it is surprised by the economic crisis. Swaziland has been experiencing a self-inflicted economic crisis for a couple of decades, a result of the undemocratic system that is running Swaziland; tinkhundla system. Political parties remain banned since 12 April 1973, while political dissent is suppressed by arrest and torture by the royal security forces of Swaziland. Consequently, close to 70 percent of the almost 1.1 million population survive on less than US2$ a day, and in 2017 over 350 00 people were in urgent need of food aid.

Despite this announcement, however, the same government is constructing a huge retirement home for Mswati’s most trusted and brutal prime minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, which will cost “nothing less than E15 million” (US$1.1 million) according to the government’s newspaper, the Swazi Observer (see picture below).



The economic problems that have been facing Swaziland are caused by nothing but the “monarchical democracy” that was created after the abrogation of the constitution and banning of political parties and organisations in 1973 by the late Sobhuza II. Consequently, royal spending has increased exponentially along with the unbridled violation of human rights by the regime. The fact is that a great chunk of public funds in Swaziland are used to feed this fat filthy pig which produces no bacon for the taxed-to-the-bone citizens.

The Communist Party of Swaziland will continue mobilising against the ongoing undemocratic tinkhundla elections which will create a puppet parliament for Mswati to implement his decisions. Any success of these elections will mean nothing but deepening poverty for the people of Swaziland. All progressive forces must therefore come together in a unified attack against the elections and the tinkhundla system as a whole and lay the ground for a true democratic country.

Issued by the Communist Party of Swaziland

Contact:
Kenneth Kunene
General Secretary
+27 72 594 3971
Or
Njabulo Dlamini
International Organiser
Mobile: +2687 603 9844
Facebook: Communist Party Of Swaziland – CPS
Twitter: @CPSwaziland

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