MBABANE – King Mswati has reportedly promised the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that he will engage in a political dialogue with opposition forces after the annual Incwala ritual ceremony.
SADC Ministerial Committee (MCO) Chairperson, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said during a speech at the SADC Ministerial Committee Summit held in Windhoek last week that the government and people of Eswatini have agreed on the value of a discussion.
“The people of eSwatini and the government have agreed on the importance of a national dialogue. What remains now is to work out the modalities and the process of that on how the national dialogue would be conducted,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Critics however said King Mswati allegedly made this promise to settle the issue so that he may conduct the country’s annual rites without being interrupted.
During a meeting with SADC in November 2021, the King made the same pledge. He then sent out his military and police to shoot citizens in the street.
He later instructed the police to deal with what he characterised as militants attempting to disturb tranquilly “eye for an eye”.
