Africa-Press – Eswatini. Thabo Mbeki, the former South African President says, King Mswati allegedly claimed to be sick when he was about to meet him to discuss among others, a political dialogue.
Eswatini is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute Monarch, political parties are banned while human rights defenders are arrested, tortured or killed for demanding democracy.
Speaking on Wednesday at the University of South Africa(UNISA) during the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs,the former South African President said, he recently reminded the King about the pending report to be delivered to him outlining how emaSwati wants their country to be governed.
The former President was responding to a question asked by Qhawekazi Khumalo,the Convenor of the SwaziLives Matter, an organization advocating for democracy in eSwatini.
“I said to His Majesty, I really want to listen to the population, emaSwati, to hear from them what they think about their country and it’s future in order to come back to him. We prepared the report, I went to eSwatini to meet His Majesty carrying the report to engage him.Unfortunately, he fell sick while we were there, he got very sick. I believed him, he actually got sick. I left the report and to cut the long story short, I saw him quite recently to say to him there’s this outstanding meeting between him and me because I still owe him that report, so he has agreed”, said the former South African President.
But the participants during the event expressed shock after President Mbeki disclosed that, Mswati fell sick while he was about to discuss the report with him and that was when the former President clarified that, he actually believed that King Mswati was very sick.
The former South African President said, the project to facilitate the political dialogue in eSwatini was done under the Thabo Mbeki Foundation adding that, he “is eager to see the political crisis in eSwatini resolved because the country, played a huge role in liberating them from the apartheid regime.
But the former President emphasized the importance of listening to what emaSwati wants to be done in preparing the political future of their country.
Reached for comments on Thursday morning, King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said, he was not aware of any pending meeting between the King and former President Thabo Mbeki adding that, he was also not sure if Mbeki was referring to the Sibaya report.
“We are not aware of any date for the alleged meeting in question between the King and Mr Mbeki. Also, it is not clear whether Mr Mbeki was talking about the Constitutional Sibaya(People’s Parliament) during which the people of Eswatini define their socio-economic destiny every five years or another meeting.The outcome of the Constitutional Meeting and other socio-economic activities in ESwatini were clearly reported to SADC and the organ has acted on the report already”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
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