New economic growth strategy, but no political reform

Prime Minister Themba Dlamini outlined the Swazi government's new economic growth strategy in parliament on Wednesday, and also touched on international concerns over democratic reform. The premier called for a programme to improve environmental management, and said a land policy had been developed and was awaiting approval. In light of persistent drought in the lowveld area, and a drop in world sugar prices, Dlamini said the government was amending its policy on the promotion of sugar cane cultivation. Cotton, which is more tolerant of erratic rainfall, would instead be emphasised. To address the ongoing drought-related food shortages, government plans to assist subsistence farmers to purchase seed and fertiliser, but Dlamini did not indicate whether this would be through loans or grants. Construction of earth dams for irrigation purposes would be accelerated to benefit peasant farmers on communal Swazi Nation Land, who depend on rainfall for their crops. Albert Ndwandwe, a member of the banned People's United Democratic Front said, "Small landholder farmers will only prosper if they are given title deed to their land, but the premier left this out, so it isn't government policy. No Swazi farmer can get a bank loan without title deed, and any person on Swazi Nation Land, where four out of five Swazis live, can be expelled from his land by his chief, who is a king's appointee, for joining a political party." Dlamini stressed that the government was committed to ending a rule-of-law crisis, in which Swaziland's appeal court magistrates resigned en masse in 2002 when the authorities refused to recognise or implement key court rulings. "His majesty's government is committed and will continue to respect and comply with the rule of law without fear or favour. The experiences of the past, resulting from the breakdown in rule of law, have left scars that will take time to heal. These issues, however, are being addressed as a matter of urgency to reach a durable solution," said the premier. He did not specify what actions were being taken. The "rule of law will not be known in Swaziland as long as government promises to obey rulings it likes, and it ignores those that offend leadership," said Phineas Magagula, president of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers. Banned political organisations have also called for an end to the royal 'Tinkhundla' system of government, where Swazis living under palace-appointed chiefs elect MPs who pass laws prepared by the king's hand-picked cabinet. The prime minister said the system would be strengthened, not abandoned in the name of political reform. "Improving the Tinkhundla system is top of the agenda of his majesty's government," Dlamini said.