Mbabane chides Pretoria over ANC manifesto

Swazis are capable of formulating their own system of democratic governance, which does not have to be similar to the South African model, a senior government official told IRIN on Tuesday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mabili Dlamini was responding to a reference made to governance issues in Swaziland in the election manifesto of the ruling South African party, the African National Congress (ANC). Swaziland was singled out by the ANC as a country where the party intended to help strengthen democracy and assist in "social normalisation and economic reconstruction". Other Southern African countries named by the ANC as needing assistance with "normalisation" were Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. In a section devoted to Africa and the world, the manifesto said the party intended to "speed up economic integration in Southern Africa and strengthen democracy, peace, stability as well as economic growth and development; and, in particular, devote time and resources to assist in social normalisation and economic reconstruction" in the four southern African countries. Dlamini said while he "welcomed attempts by a our neighbour to engage us in discussions - we have nothing against it - it should do so through the proper structures". He pointed out that a bilateral commission between Swaziland and South Africa was going to be established soon, which would be a proper forum to raise these issues. "When people generally raise these issues they are making an assumption that you are not capable of raising it yourself," Dlamini added. ANC spokesperson Steyn Speed admitted that Swaziland had been singled out, but explained: "We are not stating anything contrary to the existing South African government policy - and if we are to be re-elected we will continue to implement this policy, which falls within the objectives of NEPAD [New Partnership for Africa's Development]." The ANC's alliance partners, the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party, have openly supported pro-democracy organisations in Swaziland. Political analyst Tom Lodge described Swaziland's inclusion in the list of countries that needed assistance in strengthening democracy as "refreshing". Political parties are banned in Swaziland. A controversial draft constitution, which King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, is expected to decree into law, confirms his authority over the executive, judicial and legislative arms of government.