LOBAMBA: The political dialogue proposed by the Southern African Development Community(SADC) to resolve the ongoing political unrest remain a ghost story as King Mswati is expected to host his Buganu ceremony this weekend without announcing a date for the dialogue.
Buganu is an alleged ‘sex ceremony’ where the King summon women around the country to come together and drink traditional beer, the women are then exposed to sexual harassment by Mswati’s security officers and his loyalists once they drunk.
King Mswati allegedly made an excuse to SADC Troika Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa and promised to engage in a political dialogue with pro-democracy leaders after his Incwala ceremony, however, he subsequently unleashed soldiers and the police to shoot more civilians.
Speaking to this Swaziland News, Pius Vilakati, the Spokesperson of the Communist Party of Swaziland said the hosting of the Buganu ceremony was an indication that Mswati was not committed to dialogue, he'd rather call the Nation for a drinking spree than to a dialogue that would decide their future .
“Yet again, the masses have themselves to put trust on, organise all forces must and unite for a decisive battle for the total dismantling of the tinkhundla regime and set up democracy", said the CPS Spokesperson.
Efforts to reach Ludzidzini Governor Lusendvo Fakudze proved futile as his cellphone rang unanswered.
Reached for comments, Bonsile Mamba , the Chairperson of the Swaziland Women Rural Assembly (SRWA) said it was a huge dissapointment that in the midst of this political crisis the King still had the guts to host a drinking spree instead of fixing the country’s problems.
“It is a great disappointment and shocking to hear that the King has summoned women to the Marula Annual Ceremony when we are expecting them to host the dialogue, to him it is business as usual. Every woman who will be attending this event would be failing their kids and families because we are still mourning the victims who are still being massacred by the King's police,” she said.
Women at Buganu ceremony(this picture is not to suggest these women were sexually violated)