ESWATINI CRSIS: SOUTH AFRICA CAN’T AFFORD TO SIT ON THE FENCE

2 July 2021

Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor must tighten the screws on unstable Eswatini by summoning its ambassador and using South Africa’s regional muscle to demand the kingdom’s security forces adhere to universal principles of human rights.

As next-door-neighbours in a global village of nations, South Africa and Eswatini have a mutually dependant relationship in which the welfare of one directly impacts the welfare of the other.

Swaziland is a tiny landlocked nation sharing borders with South Africa and Mozambique. With an insurgency presently underway in Northern Mozambique, threatening the backbone of that country’s economy, volatility and instability in Eswatini is the last thing the Southern African region needs.

Should diplomacy fail, South Africa is uniquely positioned to apply non-violent pressure on Eswatini, such as economic sanctions or border closures.

Besides being much bigger than Eswatini, in land mass and economic terms, there is a moral onus on South Africa to champion rights and values enshrined in its Constitution and Bill of Rights – particularly in its own backyard.

As a sovereign nation, Eswatini has the right to resolve its challenges without interference. But this right does not extend to perpetrating human rights violations against its citizens and destabilising the region.

We therefore call on Minister Pandor to demonstrate both South Africa’s compassion and leadership by summoning Eswatini’s Ambassador and demanding that basic human rights are respected, and that its government makes progress to protect these rights sustainably.

Statement issued by Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary General, 2 July 2021