PUDEMO calls on South Africans to teach Mswati democracy through their vote
tommorrow
As South Africans prepare for their important and historic day tomorrow, 22nd
April, 2009, PUDEMO take this opportunity to salute them on the gigantic
strides they have made as a country and people in search for a better life for
all. Your achievements and willingness to openly confront your challenges
inspire all of us to strive even more for democracy in our country and
continent.
We are aware of the numerous challenges that remain, but are impressed about
your dedicated energies and focus aimed at directly facing those challenges.
The journey started long ago with the struggle to defeat racism and its
institutionalised form called apartheid, that struggle is not over, though it
has taken a different form under the current conditions.
We in Swaziland and the rest of the African continent have a lot to learn from
you and your struggle, it is a beacon of hope and inspiration for those of us
who still face conditions of political terror and institutionalised persecution
in the name of Swazi culture. We still live under conditions of perpetual
detention and subjugation, where the right to speak out against injustice is
regarded as terrorism. Our President, Mario Masuku is still in tinkhundla jails
for speaking out for the people and calling for democracy.
We do hope and trust that foreign policy changes in relation to Swaziland shall
be necessary if we are to speed up the process of deepening democracy and
stability in the region. We have no doubt that it is in the interest of South
Africa that democracy is deepened and consolidated throughout the region, for
only then can prospects of a better life and development take root in all our
countries.
The strengthening of regional institutions is necessary and urgent for
democracy and development, particularly SADC structures, protocols and
enforcement capacity to ensure that all states adhere to all protocols,
including the protocol prescribing legitimate electoral processes, which states
clearly that it must be multiparty democracy, underpinned by free and fair
electoral systems.
PUDEMO believes that development in South Africa is closely linked to
development in the whole region and South Africa has a unique and critical role
to play, owing to its geo-political and strategic position and capacity in the
region. In this regard, we call upon the people of South Africa to honour their
obligation to the region, by aggressively tackling all possible threats to
regional development, including challenging despots and their unacceptable
practices.
Once again, we reaffirm our position that Mswati’s leadership of the SADC Organ
troika is a bad example for democracy and exemplary standards throughout the
region. We further reaffirm that even in conditions of liberal democracy,
liberation movements must maintain their foremost progressive standards and
unapologetically confront all elements of feudalist opportunism, state
disguises to crush people’s power and neo-colonial vestiges. Liberation
movements must and still remain the most genuine representatives of social
progress, whatever their challenges. This means, it is in their interest that
such progressive values find concrete expression in our daily activities
throughout the region and beyond their own immediate terrains.
Throughout your voting stations, please do remember that as you vote you are
teaching Mswati and his royal cohorts how it is done. You are also teaching
them that democracy is the only way the people’s voices can find expression.
For that we thank you in advance and look forward to the continued
consolidation of your efforts in your own interest, but even more so, in the
interest of the region and continent as a whole.
We wish you a peaceful election.
Signed
Department of International Affairs-PUDEMO
Contacts
Dep. President – Sikhumbuzo Phakathi – 0731427594 (external)
Publicity – Zakhele Mabuza - +268 6073453 (internal)
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