MBABANE: Mthobisi Ntjangase, the Swaziland Youth Congress(SWAYOCO) Acting Secretary General has urged the Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) to investigate the death of young girls in an accident during uMhlanga Reed-Dance Ceremony.
A questionnaire was sent to the DPM, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
In a public statement sent to this Swaziland News this week, the SWAYOCO Acting Secretary General(SG) further urged the DPM to investigate the forced marriages of young girls by the country’s authorities.
This comes after the Office of the DPM as quoted by the Times of eSwatini, demonstrated an intention to investigate the participation of children in a SWAYOCO rally.
The People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) Youth League was celebrating thirty-two(32) years of existence.
“We call upon the DPM to genuinely ensure the welfare of children and desist from misusing state resources to settle political scores. The following list of cases which should be urgently investigated should assist the DPM’s Office in ensuring the welfare of children and shielding them from harm. The tragic death of the 10 children aged between ages 11 and 16 years who died tragically in 2015 whilst being transported like cattle on the back of a truck. He must bring those responsible, the organizers of Umhlanga Reed Dance, before the law. These young innocent children were robbed of their right to life. He must investigate the child marriages and sexual grooming of under aged girls, with their plight being widely publicized and also perpetrated by the country’s authorities. This is an infringement of the children’s Right to protection against all forms of sexual abuse.He must investigate the shortage of essential childhood vaccines in hospitals that has the potential to expose children to communicable diseases that could have been easily prevented if there was political will. This is an infringement of the Child’s Right to a safe and Healthy Life,”reads the statement in part released by the Acting Secretary General.
“Leave us alone and investigate the death of young girls during Umhlanga first,” SWAYOCO tells Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Themba Masuku.