Sadc calls for an end to violence in Eswatini

The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has called for dialogue to end the continued and sporadic acts of violence in Eswatini.           

“I have said that when diplomacy fails and people stop talking to each other, conflict begins. Therefore dialogue is important as it will give the peace process an opportunity to become successful,” said the Sadc chair of its organ for politics, defence and security co-operation, Namibian President Hage Geingob.

Speaking at the Sadc extraordinary troika summit in Windhoek, Namibia, on Tuesday, Geingob said the summit is expected to receive and consider a report on politics and security in Eswatini.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is attending the summit, accompanied by minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele, international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor and defence minister Thandi Modise. 

Geingob’s call comes after the recent assassination of Eswatini human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko. The Eswatini government said Maseko was killed by unknown criminals at his home in Mbabane, but prodemocracy activists claim the government had a hand in the murder. 

Geingob said that after reports were received in 2021 of civil unrest and violent disturbances in Eswatini, the Sadc chair of the politics, defence and security organ at the time, Botswana’a President Eric Masisi, sent a fact-finding mission to the country on July 3 and 4 2021.

This was followed by engagements by Ramaphosa, who undertook a working visit to Eswatini in November 2021. After taking over as chair of the organ, Geingob also paid King Mswati a visit in order to get a clearer understanding of the situation on the ground and gauge the effect of the civil unrest. 

“Regrettably, and while the region is focused on assisting our sister country to find and implement peaceful solutions to these challenges, there have been acts of violence in the Kingdom of Eswatini that point to an escalation of the tensions,” Geingob said.

“Several days ago we received the sad news that the people of Eswatini lost a prominent opposition political activist of the multistakeholder forum, Thulani Rudolf Maseko, who was assassinated.” 

Geingob said he issued a statement calling for a “swift, transparent and comprehensive investigation so the culprits can be brought to book”.

“Let’s give dialogue a chance because I think when diplomacy fails, people go to war. One doesn’t make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies, therefore one has to have dialogue so you can find one another,” he said.

Geingob used the opportunity to thank Ramaphosa as the outgoing chair of the organ for the “unwavering support and co-operation” shown by SA.

“He has always been available to take my calls and provide support, and I believe we will continue in this spirit. I will call him and leave a message and sometimes he takes two days to answer me, but he does reply and provides support.

“I do understand he is very busy. We all watch him and sometimes I am surprised that he tries to answer and even talks to me.”

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