SWAZI HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: SUPPORT FOR THE MONARCHY HIGH

UNCLAS MBABANE 000019

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S FOR MAYA HARRIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI WZ
SUBJECT: SWAZI HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: SUPPORT FOR THE MONARCHY HIGH
DESPITE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND POOR GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE


1. (SBU) Mandla Mkhwanazi, chair of the newly recreated Swazi
Lawyers for Human Rights, told PolOff on January 15 that support for
King Mswati III and the political system remained high in the
country, despite crushing levels of poverty, unemployment,
corruption, violations of human rights, and high HIV/AIDS infection
rates. Speaking as a political observer and not as a member of the
opposition, Mkhwanazi indicated that political opposition groups
have declined in power and organization since the inception of the
2006 constitution and do not pose a threat to the monarchy. He
stated that if political change were to happen, it would likely
emerge from internal royal family disputes or result from an
economic collapse.


2. (SBU) In discussing the revitalization of the human rights
lawyers' group, which currently has forty members and had been
defunct prior to 2009, Mkhwanazi mentioned it hopes to pattern its
activities on the Zimbabwe human rights lawyers' organization, and
work with the nascent Swazi government Human Rights Commission (HRC)
to prosecute cases. The Swazi Lawyers for Human Rights had not yet
met with HRC commissioners, because the HRC is currently waiting for
enabling legislation to permit it to take on cases. He indicated he
has his reservations about whether the government-controlled HRC
will be sufficiently independent to take on human rights violators,
which he said are committed generally by members of the government
and chiefdom leaders.


3. (SBU) Mkhwanazi emphasized that the royal family and chiefs have
been largely successful in demonizing the human rights issue as
un-Swazi and anti-monarchy in the popular perception. In addition
to publishing press statements on human rights violations, his
organization is looking at holding educational seminars to change
this perception. The challenge, said Mandla, is finding target
groups as well as a way to intrduce the topic in an acceptable
manner.


4. (SU) COMMENT: Opposition to the current system of gvernment
does exist in Swaziland, particularly wthin the labor movement,
banned political partie such as the People's United Democratic
Movement o PUDEMO, and in the Manzini, Matsapha, and Mbabae urban
centers. Mkhwanazi's statements regardig the popularity of the
King and the governing sstem track with Post's sense that active
resistace to the regime lacks popular support and remains
fragmented. For this reason, civil sciety groups generally oppose
a referendum on the current system, and focus efforts on finding
ways to educate a largely rural populace on their rights. END
COMMENT.

IRVING