A Kingdom In Turmoil

Chapter 1 - Writers lack of freedom expression

Being a newspaper columnist in our country is a difficult task, particularly due to the Tinkhundla system's strict suppression of freedom of expression.

Those who express their political opinions are at high risk of being persecuted, harassed, or even imprisoned by the government's security apparatus. Speaking out against human rights violations is considered taboo, making the job of a political commentator even more perilous.

Our country's monarch holds constitutional powers that place him above the law, including the appointment of judiciary members, the prime minister, senate members, and council members. Criticizing the monarch is dangerous and can result in charges of Sedition. Law enforcement agencies are primarily loyal to the ruling system, and protests against injustices are often brutally suppressed.

Over the years, the country has faced a growing wave of protests on various issues such as unfair labor practices, police brutality, delayed student allowances, poor governance, and service delivery. Unfortunately, these protests have been intermittently repressed by the security forces, resulting in the brutal beating, harassment, and intimidation of many activists.

Government critics have often been jailed for exercising their democratic rights of freedom of expression, assembly, and association. As a writer, criticizing the ruling authorities is a daunting task, given the risks involved. Journalists working for independent newspapers must practice self-censorship to avoid rubbing the egos of our leaders the wrong way and finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Why is it important to protect and preserve press freedom? According to: www.humanrightscareers.com:

Quote: "Any healthy democracy has guiding principles like citizen rule, fair and free elections, the protection of individual rights, and cooperation. To ensure these principles become a reality, a free press is important.

"There are three main reasons why

a free press fights for truth. Freedom of the press matters because a free press uncovers the truth. There are many issues – often very complicated ones – that journalists are trained to analyze and explain.

"Without newspapers, radio shows, blogs, etc, the average person would have little to no knowledge of what’s going on around them.

"Most people lack the time and resources to investigate issues and stories that affect them and their communities. That’s where journalists come in. Armed with skills like research and critical thinking, the best journalists know what questions to ask, what leads to pursue, and how to fact-check. Fact-checking is a vital element of a free press. If the press is not able to fact-check safely and effectively, the truth remains buried...

"A free press holds power accountable: Many entities can benefit from the truth staying hidden, including governments. One of the free press’ main missions is serving as a watchdog on power. The press is the bridge between the people and powerful entities. If the press is not free but instead beholden to power, it simply serves as an extension of that power.

"Without freedom of the press, journalists who try to tell the truth when it threatens the state are not protected by the law. This makes censorship and suppression inevitable. Even if a state made it a goal to be more truthful and transparent, there’s always an agenda they would need to serve. In the case of corruption and human rights violations, a free press is essential to exposing abuses of power.

"A free press informs voter's and strengthens democracy:

Informed voting is the third reason why freedom of the press is so important. Democracies only thrive when voters are as informed as possible. Being informed ensures people understand the issues at hand and what policies and politicians best represent them. The press is the body that informs by analyzing information, encouraging discussion, and fact-checking.

The freer the press, the better informed voters can be. Without this freedom, voters would be at the mercy of politicians and special interest groups that want to win elections and promote specific legislation. It would be very difficult and time-consuming for voters to do all their work on their own. A strong media makes the process less complicated and offers valuable insight. - Unquote.

Sometimes in our country, we face the problem of self-censorship as writers due to fear of how the status quo will react to our writings, which can stifle our work.

Our work as writers becomes stifled if there would be instances where we would practice self-censorship because of the fear o nof how the status quo would react to our writings. That is the main problem we are faced with at times in our country.

Chapter 2 - Police brutality

Police brutality had always been rampant in the country.

Police misconduct has been widespread in the country, with little consequence for those responsible.

Despite numerous calls from concerned citizens, including myself, for an independent police investigation unit to investigate and address cases of brutality, no action has been taken. The police hierarchy claims to conduct internal investigations, but these are rarely made public, leading many to believe that misconduct is simply swept under the rug.

There is a pervasive sense that the government is complicit in condoning police brutality. I personally experienced torture at the hands of police officers, enduring hours of suffocation and pressure to confess to a crime I did not commit. Though I survived, others have not been so fortunate.

One such victim of police torture was a Mozambican national, named Zavale, who died after allegedly undergoing torture at the hands of the country's police at the Manzini police station in 2010. A probe was instituted, but it was as a good as going through the motions by the government of the day .

In the year, 2021, in June, Eswatini (former Swaziland), an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III since 1986, experienced a waves of protests amid a drastic deterioration in the human rights situation, and lack of reforms. Protesters countrywide demanded democratic changes.

The authorities, through the Deputy Prime Minister of the time, responded by banning protests, deploying the police and soldiers who allegedly shot at protesters indiscriminately with live ammunition.

Based on reports from democratic groups, over 100 individuals were reportedly killed during the protests, while the government disputed this number and claimed that less than 50 people died. The damage caused by the protesters resulted in an estimated loss of R3 billion (US$19.4 million) worth of property, which was either looted or damaged.

The protests began in May 2021, when students and other political groups protested against the alleged killing of Thabani Nkomonye, a law student at the University of Swaziland, who reportedly died in a car accident. The protesters accused the police of being involved in the incident and held demonstrations at the Sigodvweni Police Station where Nkomonye's car was found.

Following the incident, the government launched an investigation into the matter. However, the protests escalated in late June when groups of young people took to the streets in the Manzini district and staged nationwide protests calling for democratic reforms.

A 1973 decree banning political parties still remains in force, today. The constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973 by a State of Emergency decree imposed by King Sobhuza II, the father of the current King Mswati III. The decree gave absolute power to the monarchy and banned organised political opposition to royal rule.

Political parties are proscribed and often, members are subjected to harassment and intimidation. They are prevented from participating in the country's general elections. The country is a one party state. It gained independence in 1968 after having previously been a British Protectorate.

Despite the adoption of a 2005 constitution which guarantees basic rights, and the country’s international human rights commitments, the violation of human rights continue unabated.

Chapter 3 - Restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly

For decades, our government had more often than not, severely restricted freedom of association and assembly. As I pointed out above, it is habitual for the country's government to brutally crush such freedoms using its security forces.

When the authorities banned delivery of petitions around the country at the country's constituency centres, all hell broke loose.