King Mswati III
There were protests for democracy in Africa's last absolute monarchy that has been ruled by King Mswati III for thirty-five years. The king of Eswatini spends lavishly while majority of the population leaves in poverty. Will the King listen to the cries for democratic reform?
In the past weeks, people have been defying curfews and are expressing anger and frustration because of widespread poverty while the King and his 15 wives spend millions of dollars on private jets and luxury vehicles. Opposition movements say soldiers have killed dozens of protestors and the government has denied these reports. The King has fled to South Africa and Eswatini's regional allies are calling for political dialogue to calm the unrest.
The number of casualties cannot be verified due to the Internet blackout but what we already know is that, the government of Eswatini issued a decree denouncing democratic reforms. Bodies of activists shot dead by security forces were tossed into burning buildings to mask the rising death toll.
Violence and demonstrations are rear in a small kingdom and landlocked country formerly known as Swaziland until 2018. King Mswati III was crowned in 1986 at the age of 18 and for decades, the King has been portrayed as a popular monarch. The protestors are calling for democracy while the opposition is pleading for elections and not selections.
The current demonstrations began sometime in May after the murder of a student by police in cold blood. Like any other political society, Eswatini has experienced similar public outrage before but this time around, the pro-democratic youth are largely involved in these protests.
Eswatini has a population of just 1.3 million people and the young generation is sick and tired of unemployment, underdevelopment, torture and abuse. Their future is unknown and no one seems to be interested in addressing their grievances and changing their lives for a better tomorrow.
The unrest will probably intensify in the coming days and spread across the country. Eswatini is in the middle of a crisis and the king ran away from his throne leaving his appointees to control the damage on his behalf.
"While the current wave of unrest in Eswatini has immediate triggers, it is rooted in historic grievances regarding the monarchy and its governance."
King Mswati III is likely to yield some concessions as a means of appeasing the protestors. The activists will fall for the trap because toppling the monarchy is highly improbable. Concerned citizens should use alternative means to express their grievances so as to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, it appears to be a very cold winter season for not only King Mswati III but his Royal counterpart, Jacob Zuma. Who would have thought that one day, a Constitutional Court would sentence a former statesman to an effective 15-month prison sentence all in the name of "democracy" and the rule of law.
"Democracy is good only when it works in your favour. No wonder why King Mswati III has not subscribed to the doctrine of democracy and I doubt if he will anytime soon".
As a statesman, Zuma was expected to lead from the front and appear before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry that is investigating allegations of corruption during his time as the Head of State and Government from 2009 to 2018. Several witnesses including former cabinet ministers and top executives of state-owned corporations have testified of Zuma's wrongdoing.
Zuma was supposed to turn himself in to authorities within five days and yesterday the former president defied another court ruling. Hundreds of Zuma supporters are gathered outside Zuma's sprawling Nkandla compound. Just like in Eswatini, the supporters have defied Covid-19 regulations in which wearing of masks is compulsory and social and political gatherings are prohibited.
Zuma told his supporters that he is not afraid of being jailed. Zuma is an ex-convict, having served a 10-year prison term on Robben Island. This time around, Jacob Zuma is being incarcerated by comrades of the same struggle - the ANC regime and not the Apartheid regime.
Zuma has launched several court actions to avoid imprisonment. On Friday, Jacob Zuma filed an application with the Constitutional Court to rescind or reduce his sentence, which the court will hear on July, 12. On Tuesday, Zuma will apply for an interdict to stop the police from arresting him.
President Zuma is a first offender, he is a former statesman and he is 79 years old with no criminal record. The Apex court should have taken these factors into consideration. One would have expected the Constitutional Court to suspend the 15-month imprisonment until the former President appears before the Zondo Commission.
In other news, President Ramaphosa gave his followers something to laugh about as his name and the word iPad were trending on Twitter last week after the President's iPad went missing minutes before he addressed a press briefing in Cape Town. The Presidency later issued a statement saying Mr. Ramaphosa was making a "lighthearted point" ahead of his speech.
On a sad note, the people of Zambia and Africa as a whole are mourning following the passing on of Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace.
@stajicesimmz