Conservatives hit back in constitution debate

Political reform could remain some way off in Swaziland, judging by the conservative views expressed by members of the royal family at a traditional conference that continues this week. "We should count ourselves lucky that [government] includes people in some of its decision-making processes," Princess Sab'sile Dlamini said in one trenchant comment. King Mswati called Swazis to debate a draft constitution in the cattle kraal at Ludzidzini Royal Village, the site of royal cultural events, 20 km east of the capital, Mbabane. The king is anxious to put in place a palace-authored constitution by next month and is giving Swazis a final chance to discuss the type of system they want. The draft constitution continues a ban on organised opposition to royal rule, allows the king to retain his absolute governing powers, and allows human rights clauses to be suspended by him if he finds them in conflict with the public interest. Royalists were in no mood for dissenting voices. After members of outlawed political organisations called for a constitutional monarchy in the first days of submissions, conservatives subsequently dominated the speakers' queue. Princes and princesses voiced personal attacks against labour leaders and members of the pro-democracy movement. "King Sobhuza II was the one responsible for bringing the country into independence, so the monarchy should rightfully retain its power," said Prince Mfanasbili Dlamini. Prince Masitsela Dlamini, King Mswati's elder brother and a palace advisor, who is also the regional administrator of the populous Manzini region, called for reporting on the royal family in the media to be banned. "These newspapers write things that they should not, and you find them exposing the monarch to the whole world, and this has to come to an end. Any news that touches on the monarch should not be published," said the prince. Masitsela called for censorship of royal reporting to be included in the draft constitution. "What would be the problem with having these newspapers shut down overnight?" he asked. Defending the Swazi king's absolute governing powers, Petros Mbhamali, a royalist, said King Mswati was appointed by God. "How can we go against what has been set by God?" he asked. Pro-democracy groups expressed concern about the legitimacy of the conference, which opened last week. "The whole session is being stage-managed; it is biased. As a country we cannot continue to violate regional and international standards of governance - Swaziland is party to the [Southern African Development Community] SADC Treaty and Declaration, the African Union Constitutive Act, the NEPAD Agreement, the Commonwealth and the United Nations," said the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations, a political reform group, and the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), a pro-democracy NGO, in a statement published by the independent local media. "The kraal cannot and will not give us consensus. Can an obsolete process give us the tools of solving modern problems?" asked Musa Hlope, director of the civic organisation. The NCA questioned the legality of the kraal debate - the organisation has challenged the palace constitution in high court. Prince David Dlamini, head of the Constitution Drafting Committee, who is running the kraal debate, said the traditional exercise was not illegal. Political observers wondered how the conflicting submissions would be used in a constitution. "Is the kraal a conductive place to have a meaningful and focused dialogue on the draft constitution? I conclude that it is not," said women's rights activist, Treasure Maphanga.