Dear Journalist/Editor
Invitation To Political Alternatives in Swaziland
Indaba – 18 August 2012
The
Swaziland Diaspora Platform (SDP) cordially invites you to a historical moment
in the Mass Democratic Movement in Swaziland; the Political Alternatives Indaba
taking place on 18 August 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The
past few months have been very busy with regards to movement and pressure on
the Swaziland regime to democratise, after 29 years of ruling Swaziland under a
State of Emergency where political parties are banned and civil rights are
censored. Teachers have been on a 7-week strike and go-slow in demand for a
4.5% pay increase, the first in three year; which has since escalated to a
demand for the democratisation of Swaziland. Other unions have joined, including nurses who are embarking
on a strike due to unsafe working conditions, 4.5% pay increase and a lack of
medication and medical instruments.
The
last absolute monarch in Africa, King Mswati III on 6th August 2012
responded by using an old trick of calling the nation to the cattle kraal to
“discuss” issues affecting the nation, instead of holding discussions with
aggrieved trade unions. The King
has lashed out at the international community and pro-democracy movement for
pushing for democracy, instead of unbanning political parties so that there is
a people’s government that works for the people and accounts for the people.
To
assist in the push for democratisation, the Swaziland Diaspora Platform is
hosting the Political Alternatives Indaba, where all “active” political parties
have been invited to present their vision for a democratic Swaziland. The people of Swaziland are ready for
change but need to understand what exactly multi-party democracy means that is
different from this self-serving Monarch.
The
Swaziland Diaspora Platform is a civic organisation formed by Swazis living
outside of Swaziland to support pro-democracy movements, promote a culture of
human rights and socio-economic equality for all Swazis.
Swaziland
is going through very tough economic times and these are caused by the global
recession but the biggest causes are the policy choices by the Monarch and its
government. The people baring the
brunt of the economic hard times are the rural poor who constitute 70% of the
1.5 million Swazi population.
Swaziland is renowned for its lack of an accountable and transparent
government and has a parliament that has no power to perform oversight, inform
government policy and monitor budget allocation and expenditure. The King has legislative, executive
powers and heavy influence on the judiciary.
The
calls for democracy have been increasing over the years as more and more Swazis
realize that they are being denied the dignity to exist and be recognized as
humans as well as citizens that have control and influence over their own
destiny and that of their community and country. As more and more Swazis lose the ability to provide
themselves and their families with food and shelter, and government fails to
provide quality health, education and social services, the people of Swaziland
want a People’s Government Now!
The
Political Alternatives Indaba will be taking place as follows:
Date: 18 August
2012
Venue: Sunnyside Park Hotel, Parktown, Johannesburg
Time: 09h00
Attached
is the programme as well as poster-invitation, please note that S’dumo Dlamini
– President of COSATU will be giving a keynote address as well.
Should you have any queries please contact the spokesperson for the
Swaziland Diaspora Platform, Ms Ntombenhle Khathwane on 072 1899 361 or ntombenhlek@yahoo.com and swazidiaspora@gmail.com
SWAZILAND POLITICAL ALTERNATIVES INDABA
Organized by the Swaziland Diaspora Platform
Johannesburg, Saturday 18th August, 2012
08:00 – 09:00
Arrival and registration of
participants (Tea/Coffee)
09:00 – 09:15
Opening and welcome of
participants by Swaziland Diaspora Platform
09:15 – 10:40
Session One: Political Parties’
presentations
Party A: 09:15
– 09:40
Party B: 09:45
– 10:10
Party C: 10:15:
- 10:40
Rules and
structure of these sessions:
Parties will each be allocated
twenty-five minutes. Each will be allowed fifteen minutes to make presentations
and ten minutes to take questions from the audience, including the media but
not members of other political parties. The order in which parties speak will
be determined by random draw of lots on the morning of the indaba.
Political parties fifteen minute
presentations must be structured as follows:
Part I: A
presentation of the party’s vision for a new Swaziland. This part should
address the following questions:
A.
What
is the political ideology underpinning the party and its objectives for a new
Swaziland?
B.
What
form of government does the party envisage for a democratic Swaziland?
C.
How
does your party plan to tackle corruption and mismanagement within the public
service?
D.
What
are your party’s plans to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce poverty?
E.
What
policies do you have for resolving the crises in the education, health and
welfare sectors?
|
Part II:
A presentation of your party’s plan for arriving at this new Swaziland. This
should address the following questions:
A.
How
does your party plan to engage with the population of Swaziland?
B.
How
many members does your party currently have? How is your party organized
internally and are there democratic elections to senior positions within the
party?
C.
What
strategies does your party have to create more political space in Swaziland?
D.
How
does your party plan to get the government to the negotiating table?
E.
What
is your party’s position on the use of violence to achieve political freedom?
F.
How
will your party enlist the support of international allies to support the
democratic movement in Swaziland?
|
NB: All parties must take note of the
following ground rules:
·
Time limits
will be strictly enforced.
·
Deviation
from the structure of the presentations as outlined above will not be permitted
and any parties presenting material that departs from this will be interrupted
by the facilitator.
·
This is a
unique chance for your party to present your forward looking and forward
thinking plans for the Swazi nation and the facilitator of this meeting has
been instructed to be active and firm so as to avoid the meeting moving away
from that purpose.
·
If the
facilitator is not satisfied that the speaker is addressing one of the points
outlined in the above structure, he/she will intervene.
·
No personal
or party insults are allowed to be made.
10:40 – 11:00
Tea/Coffee
11:00 – 13:00
Session Two: Political Parties’
presentations
Party D: 11:00
– 11:25
Party E: 11:30
– 11:55
Party F: 12:00
– 12:25
Party G: 12:30
– 12:55
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch Break/Media Interviews
14:30 – 16:00
Session Three: Inter Party
Discussion
This session will allow
political parties to ‘cross-examine’ each other on the plans, strategies and
policies that each have presented in the morning. It will provide an
opportunity for robust and open political debate as might be imagined were
these parties sitting together in a freely elected Swazi Parliament.
Format
Each
party leader is allowed one question plus a follow up to each
of the other leaders. Answers limited to 1 minute for the main answer 30
seconds for the follow up.
Each
party leader will respond to all of the questions directed at him
consecutively.
Again,
the order will be chosen at random.
NB: Again, all
parties must take note of the following ground rules:
·
Time limits
will be strictly enforced.
·
Deviation
from the structure of the presentations as outlined above will not be permitted
and any parties presenting material that departs from this will be interrupted
by the facilitator.
·
This is a
unique chance for your party to present your forward looking and forward
thinking plans for the Swazi nation and the facilitator of this meeting has
been instructed to be active and firm so as to avoid the meeting moving away
from that purpose.
·
If the
facilitator is not satisfied that the speaker is addressing one of the points
outlined in the above structure, he/she will intervene.
·
No personal
or party insults are allowed to be made.
16:00 – 16:20
Keynote Address By S’dumo Dlamini –
President of COSATU
16:20 – 17:20
Session Four: Plenary
One representative of each
political party will sit on a panel of seven people and the audience will be
able to ask questions on any issue to any party leader of their choice. The
media will be encouraged to also ask questions at this stage.
17:20 – 17:30
Closing and words of thanks by SCCCO
All political parties are please
requested to sign and return this document as agreement that they will abide by
the rules as well as present on all the questions listed.