Living April 12 Truths: A Tale of Two Democracies

April 12, 1973 – I was yet to be born in Swaziland. This is the day recorded as the day King Sobhuza II, announced he was repealing the country’s 1968 Constitution which freed Swaziland from colonial rule.  

April 12, 2017, I’m 37 years old, walking down Church Street, Pretoria, South Africa, headed to the Union Building lawns. Here, I’m joining thousands of South Africans delivering birthday wishes to Jacob Zuma – a wish to have him step down as President of the country. 

It’s this short walk to the lawns that opens me up to reflections of living the contrasting truths of these two historic dates of my lifetime.

Avoiding eye contact, I walk past the South African police neatly littered throughout Church Street and the Union Buildings entrance. 

I also pass a group of young men sitting on the pavement. I don’t know what makes it obvious to them that I’m headed for the march because I’m not wearing any political party garb…yet…but one asks, “Are you a Fighter? uyiEFF?” 

The way his questioning is hurried, you’d swear he wants to phatsisa me or maybe that he wanted to react violently and quickly to whatever answer I gave. My instinct is to deny, deny, deny. But instead of my silent denial, the words I verbalize emphatically are “YES!”

I’m sharing this to illustrate the things I realized as all this happened; how, in the long run, historical events impact our behavior and reaction to our environments. The EFF beret that I wore later at the lawns was tucked in my dungaree when I walked down that street. 

Although I knew that the April 12, 2017 political gathering was legal, and that all political gatherings are allowable in general in this part of the world, a part of me was still uneasy with revealing political party paraphernalia to the police I was walking past thanks to Swaziland’s 1973 proclamation.

SOUTH AFRICA: On April 12 2017 thousands of South Africans participated in the National Day of Action march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria South Africa calling for their President Jacob Zuma to step down. This kind and level of freedom of expression  and political activism remains a distant dream in many African countries including Swaziland . In Swaziland dissenting voices were shut down by an April 12, 1973 decree which gave all governing powers to the monarch and banned  political activity.

Stripped Off Basic Liberties

Since 1973 we’ve had to hide that which we wish to express publicly, like who we associate and gather with to deliberate or act on what affects us. I blame the state of emergency that has existed since 1973 for the fear I displayed when I saw the police – because who know that the police employed by an ANC-led government, would do to me for being in the regalia of that other political party? 

But the police here are there to protect all citizens during such an event – whether the citizens are participating in the protest or not – at least that is their legal mandate and they can be sued and jailed for diverting from it.  Meanwhile back at the ranch…PUDEMO branded t-shirt? Ask Sipho Jele’s mother.

This is embarrassing to share but I’d be undermining the point I’m trying to make if I didn’t mention it; the fact that even shouting “Zuma must fall” along with everyone was a bit of a challenge because my life-long oppressed system instinctively whispers that such an act brings a disturbance and ill-feelings as proclaimed in parts of Section 94(1) of the 1973 decree;

11. All political parties and similar bodies that cultivate and bring about disturbances and ill-feelings within the Nations are hereby dissolved and prohibited.

12. No meetings of a political nature and no processions or demonstrations shall be held or take place in any public place unless with the prior written consent of the Commissioner of Police; and consent shall not be given if the Commissioner of Police has reason to believe that such meeting, procession or demonstration, is directly or indirectly related to political movements or other riotous assemblies which may disturb the peace or otherwise disturb the maintenance of law and order.

13. Any person who forms or attempts or conspires to form a political party or who organizes or participates in any way in any meeting, procession or demonstration in contravention of this decree shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to imprisonment not exceeding six months.

The simple truth that I understand from the events of April 12, 1973 decree, is that the 1968 Constitution had transitioned Swaziland from operating under the authority of the British colonizers to a country independent of foreign rule, a country of multiparty democracy – meaning Swazis could negotiate their sovereign destiny with and among each other in these political structures. 

Having these political spaces and therefore meant they had the liberty to assemble, express their thoughts on and question activities governing their everyday life. But the words “I have assumed supreme power in the Kingdom of Swaziland and that all Legislative, Executive and Judicial power is vested in myself” changed all that for even the unborn, deeming our destiny fait accompli.

SWAZILAND: April 12, 2011 saw Arab Spring inspired protests in Swaziland. Whereas earlier protest activities  in the kingdom were workforce focused; organized by trade unionists demanding higher wages and better working conditions, the 2011 "April 12 Uprising" as it was called, demonstrated a shift; protesters were calling for democracy and socio-economic justice, - an acknowledgement that the country's existing challenges through the years like high unemployment, had been systematically caused by the April 12 1973 decree.

Questions That Need Answers

The key theme behind the repeal is that the 1968 Constitution carried what was described as ‘highly undesirable political practices alien to and incompatible to the way of life of the Swazis’. 

Fair enough for a new nation, particularly with the additional piece that the consequences of the repeal were temporary – that a permanent solution would be crafted by all Swazis in order for them to create their own destiny as a nation. Alas, this temporary situation lasted until 2005 when the current Constitution was enacted. Let’s not get into how useful or useless it is to the majority of Swazis.

Lately, the Swazis of a Monarchical Democracy talk endlessly of the year 2022; the year in which we would have made so bold a stride we’ll be rolling with the big cheese in First World status. My question then becomes what defines this status? 

Why do we want this status – does it not come with the highly undesirable practices that are not aligned to our way of life? What is our way of life; how do we govern this way? My little research led me to one Glen Contrairian who asks the same question; “How does a nation attain and maintain First-World Status? What do First World nations have in common?” 

Answers to the latter:

(1) Legal protection for the disadvantaged and taxpayer-funded opportunities to enable the poor to better their station in life.

(2) A legal system in place to help level the playing field in business and commerce.

(3) Taxpayer-funded schools to help ensure a highly-educated population.

(4) Legal protections for the rights of the people in their private lives and in the workplace.

Are we there yet?

Related read: Swaziland Declared a Democracy; MONARCHICAL Democracy