MBABANE: Sibongile Mazibuko, the President of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) has urged Emaswati to consistently pray within their homes against the on-going Incwala ritual ceremony which she described as a spiritual tool used by King Mswati and the royal family to oppress the people.
Speaking to this Swaziland News on Tuesday, the NNLC President said Emaswati should pray and fight against the spirit of the mermaid sourced from the Indian Ocean which she said, was used to delay freedom in the country. The political activist said the Nation was few steps towards achieving freedom, she called for unity in prayer against the 'spiritual' tool used by royalty to oppress the people.
"All Swazis this year should pray against this ritual ceremony that harbours evil spirits delaying freedom in the country, the time has come for Emaswati to take over this country" she said.
On 22nd November 2020, this publication reported that King Mswati allegedly unleashed his ritual men(Bemanti) to harass women for wearing pants and those who appeared in public without covering their heads. The ritual men normally receive orders from the King to fetch water from the Indian Ocean as part of the ritual process, however, along the way, they harass women and men across the country and impose fines to those found to have violated their ritual practices.
When reached for comments earlier, Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, a human rights lawyer condemned the conduct of the King's ritual men saying it amounts to harassment and against the provisions of the Constitution that guarantees the rights of women.
"What is done by Bemanti(ritual men)amounts to harassment, they are harassing these women because Section 28 of the Constitution deals with the rights and freedoms of women. When you read Section 28(3), it states that a woman shall not be compelled to undergo or uphold any custom which she is consciously opposed, so if a woman decides to wear pants and not to cover her head, that's her conscious decision, you cannot therefore force them or impose fines on them" said the human rights lawyer.
King Mswati during Incwala ceremony