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The Mswati autocracy’s desperation has sunk to the lowest levels as it banned all activities that were scheduled for 24 August and during the day of 25 August this year as it tries to force Swazis to focus only on the tinkhundla sham elections scheduled to begin on 25 August. This is one of the clearest examples of the exercise of Mswati’s absolute powers as he has banned even events falling on the eve of the sham elections (24 August) in addition to those falling on the day of the primary elections on 25 August.

This may appear to the distant observer merely as an act aimed at giving people an opportunity to go and vote, but the people of Swaziland know that this command by Mswati will be implemented violently. This will be through the chiefs in the communities and by the violence of the security forces. The people have been commanded to not even bury their loved ones during those two days, unless they conduct such burials before 5a.m, a ridiculous proposition.

The Mswati regime is known to violently shut down all people’s activities in order to force them to attend the regime’s events such as Incwala and Umhlanga reed-dance. On 29 July this year, royal police even invaded over 10 churches and forced congregants to go and register for the tinkhundla sham elections in a bid to increase numbers.

The people of Swaziland know that there is nothing to benefit from these elections. They are now aware that the parliament they are forced to elect is nothing but Mswati’s puppet and has no powers to hold either the absolute monarch or the government to account. It is for this reason that Mswati was able to loot about E1 billion (about US$75 million) in public funds to pay for his 50th birthday party.

The Communist Party of Swaziland will be organising political fora in defiance of the banning. Our cadres will be deployed throughout the country to address these political fora advancing our transitional programme calling for true democracy in Swaziland. We encourage other formations in the pro-democracy movement to do the same and organise political activities in defiance of the ban and the undemocratic elections.

Issued by the Communist Party of Swaziland