By Zweli Martin Dlamini

BOKSBURG: Pro-democracy leaders have resolved that 29 June shall be a public holiday in the new democratic Swaziland to honor the the civilians who were allegedly killed by King Mswati and his Government merely for demanding democratic reforms.

Mswati was subsequently reported to the International Criminal Court(ICC) but his brother Major General Prince Simelane, the Housing Minister defended him during a public address this week saying the King never killed anyone adding that he was not directly involved in the issuing of orders during the political unrest.

“The King never killed the people and is not directly involved in the operations of the armed forces, there are people”, he said.

However, this was a contradictory statement to the sentiments of Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini who confirmed to the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) that police killed civilians.

The pro-democracy leaders resolved to honor the victims of the massacre including those who were injured through as formal document known as the “Boksburg Declaration”, it was facilitated by Letfu Sonkhe Institute for Strategic Thinking and Development, the Political Parties Assembly(PPA) and the Multi-stakeholders Forum.

The political leaders through their various organizations within the Mass Democratic Movement as the civil society further mentioned that they were determined to achieve a new, inclusive and fully democratic multi-party democratic state led by a peoples’ government, totally independent of the King and the institution of the monarchy – a government that will deliver on the social contract with the people, frugally managing the economy, all state resources and assets to drive sustainable economic development and guarantee universal franchise for all our people;

“We declare the following as key outcomes and action points of the Boksburg Declaration: That June 29th shall be a public holiday in recognition of the ultimate sacrifices made by our people during the period of the June Massacre and the political unrest; all victims of the unrest shall be catered for by the Peoples’ government; To urgently embark on a sustained campaign for the immediate release of the incarcerated MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube as well as the unconditional return of MP Mduduzi Simelane and all political exiles before the dialogue process commences; We call on our people to immediately return to the battlefront and intensify the struggle for democracy and freedom day and night until victory is attained recognizing that what is not won in the battleground cannot be on at the dialogue table; That all progressive forces within the mass democratic movement unify and keep their focus on the task of liberating our people we call for an immediate cessation of all counter revolutionary conduct that demobilizes the urgent task for freedom”, reads the Boksburg Declaration in part.