By Zweli Martin Dlamini

LOZITHA: Namibian President Hage Geingob, the Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community(SADC) Troika on Politics, Defense and Security, held a meeting with King Mswati at Lozitha Palace on Friday as the second wave of the political unrest intensifies in this troubled Kingdom.

This is the second Head of State or Troika Chairperson to visit eSwatini as Mswati refuses to participate in a political dialogue while unleashing the army to shoot and kill protesting civilians merely for demanding democracy.

Shortly after the political unrest erupted, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited eSwatini to try and persuade the King to participate in a dialogue, the King agreed and subsequently reneged.

Eswatini,a tiny Kingdom situated in Southern Africa, is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute Monarch with Executive, Judicial and Legislative powers.

Political parties are banned from participating in elections and Members of Parliament(MPs) who oppose or challenge the King are thrown behind bars.

MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube are facing terrorism charges for demanding democratic reforms inside Parliament. 

After the meeting, the office of Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo released an online statement suggesting that, conflict resolution through a peaceful dialogue formed part of the discussions between the King and SADC Troika Chairperson.

“Their discussions also focused and touched on the restoration of peace and resolution of conflicts through  peaceful dialogue,” reads the online statement in part.

But in a public statement sent to this Swaziland News on Friday,human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko,the Chairperson of the MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF)said as the Mass Democratic Movement they recalled that it was around this time last year, on or around November 2, 2021 where President Cyril Ramaphosa, the then SADC Troika Chairperson concluded a one- day working visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini.

“Pursuant to that working visit,the nation and the world was informed and made to believe that King Mswati III and the SADC leadership had agreed and ....resolved that the Kingdom of Eswatini will embark on a process that will work towards the establishment of a national dialogue forum.To date it has been exactly twelve [12] months since that resolution was made, and the King and the Swaziland Government have taken no steps towards the setting up of the national dialogue forum,”reads the statement in part, released by the MSF Chairperson.

On another note, the human rights lawyer said the Nation was  ready for the political dialogue but the King and his Government were deliberately stalling and frustrating the process thus putting the life of the Nation at risk.