By Zweli Martin Dlamini

The recent decision by the Southern African Development Community(SADC) to remove eSwatini from the Troika Agenda, based on unverified submissions by King Mswati suggesting that, peace has been restored in the country is not only misguided but, amounts to endorsing dictatorship and/or the use of guns to kill and silence dissenting views.

Indeed, the decision is not only a violation of democratic principles but demonstrates the lack of a political will by the Heads of States to hold each other accountable on issues of democracy and protection of human rights.

SADC is fully aware that Mswati was never elected by the people and that, he allegedly kills human rights defenders and political activists merely for, demanding democracy.

Therefore, allowing an unelected Head of State to make a presentation that was then adopted by SADC unchallenged or verified through a Fact Finding Mission was, on its own,a violation of the organization’s Guidelines on Democracy within the region.

King Mswati was summoned by the very same SADC to appear before the organization’s Troika Organ during various Extraordinary Meetings on eSwatini political crisis, he refused to attend the meetings while killing those calling for democracy.

As a result, human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, the Chairperson of the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF) who was corresponding with SADC, representing the Mass Democratic Movement(MDM) was killed at the peak of the political unrest.

SADC was supposed to ask King Mswati this question; where is human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko?.

Indeed, the regional organization is fully aware of Thulani Maseko because the MSF received various letters directed to the human rights lawyer, who was killed while preparing for a political dialogue that was recommenced by the very same SADC.

Now, the regional organization opted to listen to a cruel and brutal dictator who did not only refused to submit to its accountability structures but,allegedly killed human rights defenders before uttering an outright lie suggesting that, peace has been restored in the Kingdom of eSwatini.

It was SADC who rushed to eSwatini to plead with the protestors to maintain peace at the peak of the political unrest and, allow a process of a political dialogue and before removing the country from the Troika agenda, SADC was supposed to verify what then stopped the all inclusive dialogue.

As the situation stands, it might be difficult in the future for the protestors to trust SADC when calling for peace if that peace, will then be used to legitimize a dictator instead of creating a foundation for a peaceful political dialogue.

In conclusion, let me state categorically that, there’s no peace in eSwatini as the SADC Heads of State were made to believe, protesting civilians and human rights defenders are killed for demanding democracy and SADC is fully aware of that.