By Bongiwe Dlamini

GEGE:King Mswati’s Government has maintained silence as Taiwan nationals invade the rural areas, forcefully seizing land from the poor and powerless citizens.

The land grabbing by Taiwan investors that started at Gege-Mbondzela in the South-western parts of eSwatini last week, is highly expected to spread to other areas as the Chinese province advance its economic interests while violating human rights in the tiny Kingdom.

Taiwan is a diplomatic ally to eSwatini despite the United Nations(UN) Resolution 2758 of 1972 that recognizes the One China Principle, the Chinese province previously donated helicopters to the army were used to launch air-strikes, shoot and kill innocent civilians during the unrest. 

The Taiwan helicopters donated to the army are highly expected to start patrolling Mbondzela-Gege to monitor the residents and intimidate them to refrain from protesting, some of the residents are sleeping in the forests after the demolition of their homes.

Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Mciniseli Nhleko, a senior citizen of Gege was subsequently arrested for raising a voice against the Taiwan nationals who demolished his home last week,the Taiwanese are using businessmen Tito Dlamini and Sandile Simelane. 

John Fan, the Managing Director of Nhlangano FTM Garments has been identified as one of the Taiwan investors who, with the backing of those in power, is grabbing land from the poor and powerless citizens.

Both businessmen, the Taiwan investor including Ambassador Jeremy Liang declined to comment regarding the ongoing human rights violations.

On another note, eSwatini pro-democracy and civil society groups strongly condemned the ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by Taiwan, a province of the People’s Republic of China.

Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) told this Swaziland News that, the diplomatic relations between eSwatini and Taiwan represents nothing but, a misery for the ordinary citizens.

“What this represents for the ordinary people of Swaziland is misery as you would see that, the people of Gege are today without homesteads because a Taiwanese engineered economic interest has led to them being evicted. We want to remind our people that, it must never be lost to them that, when the Royal Science Technology Park was to be constructed,emaSwati were violently and forcefully evicted there in a very cruel manner and that project, Swazis would remember, is being bankrolled by Taiwan”, said the PUDEMO President.