By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Thulani Rudolf Maseko, the Chairperson of the MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF) has accused King Mswati of misleading the Southern African Development Community(SADC) by claiming that eSwatini was facing a security not a political crisis.

This comes after the King Mswati addressed journalists on Tuesday at Ludzidzini Palace where he alleged that the burning of structures and killings allegedly  perpetrated by pro-democracy activists were reported to SADC adding that the regional body promised to intervene and restore peace and stability in the country.

“I told SADC that people are burning properties and killings are rife,”said the King.

But in a public statement sent to this Swaziland News on Wednesday, human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, the MSF Chairperson said the problems affecting the country were political and required political solutions.

“We note that the King has reported that he informed the leadeship of the Southern African Development Community [SADC] in the DRC that the problem facing the nation is only a security issue. The issue affecting the nation is more than just a security concern; it is fundamentally a political question. The security issue arises from the political problem, which is the lack of and absence of democratic governance in the country. The security issue can and will never be resolved without addressing the political question. The security instability is but a symptom of a sickness of our politics,” he said.

The MSF Chairperson said SADC cannot resolve the Swaziland crisis by addressing symptoms and not the crux of the crisis.

“The King should stop misleading his peers in SADC by avoiding to face the real issue and to find a lasting solution to the political question. It is troubling that the King continues to reduce the political and socio-economic crisis facing the country to only the narrow issue of security concerns. We are deeply concerned that the King continues to be in denial that the challenges facing the country are political and require a committed, and structured political solution,” said the MSF Chairperson.