Back to Index

The scourge of persecution
Students Solidarity Trust
June 17, 2011

From time immemorial, a dictator's weapon has been to persecute all those who have a different view from them. These persecution tactics widely range from victimization, vilification, public humiliation, arrest, torture or even elimination all in a bid to muzzle any dissent from a discontented populace. From Adolf Hitler in Germany, Stalin's Russia, the reclusive North Korea to Pol Pot in Cambodia, persecution of opponents has been a tool of choice. History is littered with how these and other dictators used barbaric methods to get their way. Shockingly, such a trend still prevails in some of those countries where democracy has not yet taken root with impunity. After the Egyptian revolution, many torture sites were discovered and pointed out. In Tunisia and the liberated parts of Libya, the story is the same with even lists of people who have disappeared in those camps emerging. Silencing opponents continues to be an obsession of those who do not want to let go of the levers of power and it seems clear in their scheme of things that they can cling on to power only through persecution of opponents.

Southern Africa has not been spared this phenomenon with countries such as Zimbabwe and Swaziland on the forefront of persecuting those who have varying views to those of the authorities. On 11 April 2011, the Swaziland police arrested Maxwell Dhlamini, the president of the Swaziland National Union of Students. He was pre-emptively arrested for allegedly inciting people to demonstrate against King Mswati III's regime a day before the actual demonstration which was brutally repressed. However, he is being charged with possession of explosives, a charge that attracts a five-year jail sentence if found guilty. Dhlamini is still in prison up to now with reports that he has been tortured and forced to sign a confession that he indeed was in possession of explosives. Dlamini's rights are being violated left right and centre as he was denied the opportunity to write his examinations at the University of Swaziland. His quest for bail has been quashed and the Swazi authorities continue to obstruct his lawyers, denying him the chance to proper legal representation.

On June 6, the Swaziland National Union of Students launched the Free Maxwell Dhlamini campaign. Zimbabwean students and all progressive forces in solidarity with the Swaziland National Union of Students call upon the Swazi authorities to unconditionally release Dhlamini.

It is disturbing to note that King Mswati peers in SADC remain silent when such violations are occurring. Swaziland continues to heavy-handedly repress peaceful dissent to Mswati rule and SADC should lean on their fellow leader to allow peaceful demonstrations. With the continent remembering the day of the African child, it is poignant that an African child who has the responsibility of carrying the continent's future on his shoulders languishes in a Swazi prison with current leaders mum about it.

History certainly stands to judge those SADC leaders with influence over Mswati harshly if no action to liberate Dhlamini is taken. As a community, SADC's ideals of common values and principles are being brought into question and being tested by this case. Failure of SADC to ensure the unconditional release of Dhlamini is a signal of lack of seriousness on their part to ensure a community free of the vagaries of dictatorships, one-party states and internal persecution of opponents. The Zimbabwe plunge and the time it has taken SADC leaders to resolve it is a sure sign that things should not be left to deteriorate before remedial action is taken. It is better and proper to take preventive rather than remedial measures. Ignoring the Dhlamini case can only be viewed as a thumbs up to Mswati to continue his errant ways without reproof or rebuke. SADC must take it upon themselves to view an injury to one as an injury to all and that the case of Maxwell Dhlamini is not only a test of the declarations and treaties that leaders have agreed to on tax-payer funds yet the same tax-payers are being denied the right to see those declarations and treaties being implemented.

Visit the Students Solidarity Trust fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP