By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Sobhuza’s political party, the Imbokodvo National Movement won elections in 1968 and subsequently, the King endorsed Prince Makhosini, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Swaziland(now eSwatini).

This means eSwatini once tested democracy but, for only five(5) years and that was between 1968-1973, thereafter King Sobhuza banned political parties after his political party experienced an opposition from vigorous members of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress(NNLC).

In 1973, democratic elections were held again and that was when the NNLC won three(3) seats, its members started holding the ruling party being Imbokodvo accountable.

King Sobhuza then dissolved Parliament and went on to establish the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force(USDF) subsequently, soldiers were deployed in various communities to ensure that, people were not allowed to organize meetings without permission or be in groups of more than four(4) people.

Soldiers would assault those found to be groups of more than four(4) people and members of the NNLC were arrested and detained under sixty(60) days Detention Without Trial Order.

One of the victims of the Detention Order was Dr Ambrose Zwane, the founder of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress(NNLC), who was the main and strong critic of King Sobhuza.

Members of royal family Prince Dumisa and Princess Betfusile were also opposing Sobhuza, demanding democracy after the King banned political parties.

After the death of Sobhuza in 1982, the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) was formed amid infighting within the royal family.

At the time,the then Crown Prince Makhosetive was still young and a powerful royal faction led by the late Prince Mfanasibili(Liqoqo strongman) fired Prime Minister Prince Mabandla who was very close to Sobhuza.

Prince Mfanasibili was the son of Sobhuza’s brother Prince Makhosikhosi, Mfanasibili subsequently became the most powerful member of the royal family who ensured that King Mswati ascended to the Throne.

But before that, after dismissing Prime Minister Prince Mabandla who then fled to exile amid a plot to arrest and kill him, Prince Mfanasibili later appointed Prince Bhekimpi of Nkhaba as the Prime Minister.

Prince Bhekimpi is the father of the late traditionalist Bongani “Sigcokosiyancinca” Dlamini and the current Nkhaba Chief Prince Mnisi.

Bhekimpi was tasked with ensuring that there was order in the country hence his statement “Ngebani lobu-hhi-hhi-hhi yemaSwati”.

As the political tension escalated, PUDEMO members were vigorously demanding democratic reforms but, the tension within the royal household later stabilized after Mswati’s Coronation and security forces then focused on torturing, arresting and killing PUDEMO members and other activists in the name of restoring peace and stability.

In 1991, PUDEMO members that include Mpandlana Shongwe formed the Swaziland Youth Congress(SWAYOCO) and lobbied the youth to participate in the struggle for democracy.

But this, resulted to other young leaders at the time, that include Zodwa Mkhonta, Mario Masuku, Boy Magagula and others, they were consistently arrested, others were charged with treason.

The police were using among others, provisions of the Public Order Act and verbal orders from the King to silence dissenting voices.

But the calls for democracy escalated in 1996 after the then Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions(SFTU) Secretary General Jan Sithole with the backing of PUDEMO and other political players led to the historic “Khukhulela-Ngoco” strike action pushing the famous twenty-seven(27) demands.

The demands included Free Education, a democratic Constitution, decent police houses and Elderly Grants among others,some of these demands were later implemented by the eSwatini Government.

The King appointed the Constitutional Review Commission(CRC) led by Prince Mangaliso to visit Chiefdoms and consult all emaSwati as part of the process to draft the country’s Constitution.

But it seems the process was later manipulated, as Mswati later signed the Supreme Law regulating his absolute Monarchy rule to place himself above the law.

In the process, political activists were targeted and killed and Government was using the Constitution to defend dictatorship in the eyes of the international community saying, emaSwati chose to be ruled by the King and gave him absolute power.