Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, former Secretary of the Swaziland Association of Students, wrote a stirring letter to the Sunday Times in August. Truly, it is a eulogy to Ngozo Ntokozo, the young man murdered by Royal Swaziland Police.
Phakathi explains Ntokozo fought for the emancipation of the students, demanding the establishment of SRCs in schools, free universal and relevant education and the abolishment of violent punishment against students. He was expelled from the education system and never allow back. Perhaps he had the potential of someone such as Steve Biko but, like the apartheid Boers, the ruling Swazis would not permit this "free thinker" to grow.
After years of struggling for an education Ntokozo said Comrades, I am not going to beg for life. I have fought enough to get my education. The system is refusing me that opportunity. If they don’t want us to go to school what do they want us to do.
Police had branded this man a criminal and in August claimed they had to shoot him as he was running away. A recent postmortem report says Ntokozo was shot dead within a radius of 35 centimetres; he was without a weapon and wearing only jeans. Now the Prime Minister of Swaziland has publicly said he doubts the report. He may be worried about the upcoming Commonwealth meeting in Uganda.
Amnesty International is watching Swaziland closely and the international community is becoming more aware of the contemptible government of that country. The "head boys" who tell the king what to do are advising him to become pals with a miserable lot of kings, sultans and the like. Mswati has enough wives, concubines, cars and cattle to satisfy any 17th century mentality. You see, he's the kind of fellow who believes he's descended from the sun. There are no free men as "subjects" born on his land belong to him; born to serve him.
As the royal government carries on with the royal whims we must ask how many foreign nations are sending funding there? Will our Canadian Foreign Affairs engage in "diplomatic dialogue" as Mswati's monologue continues?
Write to Maxime Bernier our new Minister of Foreign Affairs and let him hear your opinions.
Ntokozo Ngozo
Nov 18 Royal Villas’ $1 million splash for Sultan suite
Nov 17 Govt buys 74 escort cars for $4 million illegally
To follow current events in Swaziland see LATEST NEWS
Sunday, November 18, 2007
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