Friday, November 18, 2011

DEMOCRACY WILL SAVE SWAZILAND

Mario Masuku, President of the banned opposition People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), says only democracy can save the kingdom from its financial meltdown.

He said it was unlikely that King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, could save the situation. He told Voice of America (VoA), ‘We have said for a long time that all this crises that the country is experiencing -- economic, social, health, education and welfare -- are all just mere symptoms of an unworkable system of governance,’ said Masuku.

‘It all centres on one question which is “what is the problem of Swaziland?” And the problem of Swaziland, unfortunately, points to the issue of the monarchy.’

Masuku told VoA, ‘PUDEMO has said over again that the monarchy [should] look after cultural and traditional issues and leave the government of the people to the people.’

He added, ‘The people should form their own government and elect their own cabinet. Then these [financial problems] will be able to be solved.’

He said unless there was multiparty democracy in Swaziland, ‘we will continue to experience [troubles] irrespective of whether we get a bailout or not’.

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