ACTSA; Beshlie goes to Africa.: 04/01/2011

So what's it all about then?

Visit my justgiving page to donate and take part in the £1 challenge.

Well hello there. My name is Beshlie and I work for the Marine Management Organisation as a Marine Officer. I joined Prospect, the recognised trade union for marine officers, and soon became involved in union matters, including the young professionals network. I took on the role of environment rep and international development advocate because it is a subject I feel strongly about and thought it would be an opportunity to influence decisions affecting all MMO staff and have a positive influence outside the organisation. I have been working with management, fellow reps and Prospect officers on creating MMO’s sustainable development action plan, which ties in with the bargaining for international development project; the environment and people are very much linked in my mind. As a consequence, I applied for a two week trip to South Africa with ACTSA, an organisation described as the successor to the anti-apartheid organisation. Guess what.... I'm going and this blog will tell you about it. Eventually!

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Most of you will know that I went to Swaziland last year as a representative of Prospect, on a UK delegation with ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa). If I haven’t rambled about it to you, I can only let you know that the expereince was heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. I met some truly inspirational people who spend every day fighting for justice; in Swaziland, the right to vote and to own land is only the start. The people I met with are in trouble and it’s kicking off in a big way. I want to let you know once again of Prospect’s involvement and also, of ways you can support the struggle.

1) Sign a petition here
2) You can still donate on my Just Giving page, go on, £2 will make a difference.
3) You can join ACTSA, either annually, or for £3 a month.

Even if all you do is sign the petition, you are helping real people, including those in the pictures above. 2 minutes, that’s all it’ll take.

Swaziland troubles. Prospect Report.

Outrage in Swaziland

On Tuesday 12 April, trade unionists in Swaziland were at the forefront of a pro-democracy call to action that was met with brutal force as the day progressed. Many trade unionists and
pro-democracy supporters have been arrested and brutalised by the regime – this includes Quinton Dlamini who Prospect cosponsored at Ruskin College in 2007/08. Quinton is the
President of the NAPSAWU (public sector union) and SFTU (Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions) CEC member. Quinton is a Parasitologist (malaria specialist) by profession.
Whilst in the UK, Quinton addressed Conference in Torquay, the World Day for Decent work event and the World Malaria event at the TUC.

Over the course of two days we have received communiqués from various sources as the situation unfolded – this briefing is made up of some of these. Sources include press alerts, COSATU, Swazi Federation of trade unions (SFTU), Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA)

Monday 11 April 2011

ACTSA: Following the Prime Minister of Swaziland’s statement seeking to ban protests planned there for 12 April, police have already begun to clamp down on pro-democracy supporters in the country. This weekend, police raided the home of Barnes Dlamini, President of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions and four leaders of prodemocracy organisations were arrested
as they returned from a meeting in South Africa. It is anticipated there will be numerous other arrests on Monday, ahead of the planned action on 12 April.

Tuesday 12 April 2011

09:36
Yesterday (11th April 2011), A group returning to Swaziland from the Swaziland Democracy Campaign’s one-year anniversary commemoration were intensely searched and questioned at the Oshoek border post (border entry point between South Africa and Swaziland). Some of them had their belongings including t-shirts confiscated with no information as to when they would be returned to them. There are a series of roadblocks along the route from Oshoek to Manzini - four colleagues travelling together in the same motor vehicle went missing10:00
Samkeliso telephoned Mary Pais Da Silva (SDC SD Convener) and informed her that they had been stopped and the attitude of the security forces was very hostile. He further stated that they were unsure of their safety because of the conduct of the security forces towards them. A legal team has been making attempts at tracing the group since word of their disappearance, but so far there is no lead as to where they are. It is generally agreed that the security forces had a hand in their disappearance.

10:11

The oppressive King Mswati regime has arrested almost all the leaders of Swaziland’s Labour Unions and many other ordinary members and students who were wearing T-shirts from their respective organisations. The riot police are all over the country’s cities and still conducting their
roadblocks. Anybody seen wearing SNAT, SNUS, SFTU, SUDF, PUDEMO, SWAYOCO T-Shirts is immediately arrested.

10:59

They raided the homes of top unionists and jailed key leaders in the days ahead of the protest against Africa's last absolute monarch, accused of bankrupting state coffers with his penchant for luxury while moving to slash civil service pay.

11:39

The police in Swaziland are dispersion crowds by detaining them and leaving them in far
out places. 30 Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) teachers were
yesterday detained. At the moment more than 500 teachers at the SNAT centre,
the Union’s headquarters have been blocked by police in order to stop teachers from participating in the protests. All other teachers have been barred from leaving their schools, even those who had not planned to participate in the protests.

12:39

The situation in Manzini has descended to chaos and police are failing to handle it. This has prompted the state to send in the Red Barrettes, a special branch of the Swazi Army. In the centre of the city, a police officer made the mistake of intimidating bus conductors who were going about
their normal business. The bus conductors did not take kindly to this and beat up the police officer.
The latest information coming out of the tiny kingdom is that the police have now run out of teargas.

12:48

"Police are now beating the teachers. They are are throwing teargas and beating teachers. People are running helter skelter. Police are beating us with batons," said Smangele Mmema, member of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers, one of the main groups behind the protest movement.”

13:44

The uprising is now led by ordinary masses. This is a good thing. After the entire leadership of the Labour Coordinating Council was arrested, the labour unions simply continued with their protest as planned. When they entered the centre of Manzini city, ordinary people from all walks of life joined them to voice out their support for the uprising. Police are beating them up with clubs but they are refusing to lie down and immediately regroup and continue with the protest. Police have now started using rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. This, also, is failing.

13:47

Swazi Security forces are violently cracking down on a legal protest organized by all workers in and Civic in Society organization in the City of Manzini. Today the 12th April 2011, Police and the army arrested the following people on their way to the demonstration area:

 Barnes Dlamini, President of the Swaziland Federation of Trade
Unions.
 Vincent Ncongwane, Secretary General of the Swaziland Federation
of Labour.
 Muzi Mhlanga, Secretary General of the Swaziland National
Association of Teachers.
 Sibongile Mazibuko, President of the Swaziland National Association
of Teachers.
 Nomkhosi Dlamini-Gumedze, Secretary of the SFTU Women’s
Committee
 Quinton Dlamini, President of the NAPSAWU and SFTU CEC
member.
 Bheki Mamba, President of Swaziland National Nurses Association.
 Phumelele Zulu, Executive member of SFL.

Close to 200 other activists are reported to have been arrested in their various regions. Around 100 buses have been detained around the country; the city of Manzini resembles a war zone with the Police and the army marching in the streets.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

COSATU: “The brutal and violent response of the police and army showed the world just why the struggle for democracy and human rights is so necessary. The lid has been lifted on a regime that survives only though brute force and the suppression of all basic rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Police are continuing today (13th) to arrest trade union leaders and other crucial role players organising and leading a three-day action.”

Perhaps the most poignant email today, from Ms. Mary Pais Da Silva of the Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC) captures the bravery of colleagues, she ends an email describing how their office was invaded by police where she was physically assaulted, by saying, “I will not be intimidated by these bullish antics of the government. Bashing me only strengthens my resolve in the role that I play in the democratic movement in Swaziland. The march continues!”

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Secondary Links

The Nomntu Project

The Nomutu project is run by a friend of mine's family. It provides educational, social and practical support to those suffering from poverty, abuse, HIV/AIDS in small communities in the Eastern Cape. They do good work. Support them if you can!

Artists For a New South Africa

Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) is a nonprofit organisation working in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, assist children orphaned by the disease, advance human and civil rights, educate and empower youth, and build bonds between our nations through arts, culture, and our shared pursuit of social justice.

Music you might like

Johnny Clegg: Johnny Clegg is one of South Africa’s most celebrated sons. He is a singer, a songwriter, a dancer, anthropologist and a musical activist whose infectious crossover music, a vibrant blend of Western pop and African Zulu rhythms, has exploded onto the international scene and broken through all the barriers in his own country.

Listen on Myspace here.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo: So good were they that after a time they were forbidden to enter the competitions but welcomed, of course, to entertain at them.

Listen on Myspace here. (Yes, they are the ones from Paul simon's Graceland album).

Putumayo world Music - South Africa. Listen to previews through Real/Media Player. These guys are great, as they support NGO's and non profit organisations. For info click here.

Soul Brothers; Initially formed in KwaZulu Natal, the group have remained the slickest and most successful proponents of the mbaqanga sound which dominated South African urban music for over three decades.

Listen on We7 here.

Xavier Rudd and Izintaba: Album Koonyun Sun. Xavier is from australia, Izintaba from South Africa. I won't give you a review, just get it. It's ace. Particularly track 4.

Listen on Myspace here.

South Africa Fact File

For more information click here.

South Africa, officially called the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country of continental Africa, bordered in the north-west by Namibia; in the north by Botswana and Zimbabwe; in the north-east by Mozambique and Swaziland; in the east and south by the Indian Ocean; and in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The independent country of Lesotho forms an enclave in the eastern part of the country. South Africa has an area of 1,219,090 sq km (470,693 sq mi). The administrative capital of South Africa is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein.

Government

In February 1990 South Africa’s white minority government lifted the ban on anti-apartheid political organizations and freed African National Congress (ANC) leader Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners. The government and the black liberation movement, led primarily by the ANC, then entered into negotiations to dismantle apartheid and open the way to political democracy in South Africa.

Religion, Language and Culture

Religion

About 68 per cent of the people of South Africa are Christians, mainly Protestant. Most Afrikaners belong to the Dutch Reformed Church, and most South African whites who speak English as their first language belong to the Anglican, Congregational, Methodist, or Roman Catholic Churches. Blacks are also members of these denominations; in addition, many of them adhere to so-called independent Churches, which combine elements of Christianity and traditional African religions. A significant minority of blacks also follow traditional beliefs. Of the non-Christian religions in South Africa Hindus comprise 1.3 per cent and Muslims 1.1 per cent. South Africa also has a Jewish community of some 67,600 people, although a number of Jews have emigrated to Israel in the past 25 years.

Language

There are 11 official languages in South Africa: Afrikaans (6.2 million), English (3.5 million), Ndebele (588,000), Northern Sotho (3,840,000), Southern Sotho (2,704,000), Swati (1,019,000), Tsonga (1,646,000), Tswana (2,822,000), Venda (666,000), Xhosa (6,858,000), and Zulu (10,700,000). Afrikaans and English are the languages of record. The former, a variant of the Dutch language, is the first language of almost all Afrikaners and many Coloured people. English is used as the primary language by many whites and is also spoken by many Asians and blacks. To most blacks, however, a Bantu language (see Niger-Congo Languages) or Khoisan (Click) language is their first language. In addition to English, many Asians also speak a language of India. Fanagolo, a Zulu-based pidgin, is spoken by several thousand mainly as a lingua franca among mining communities. A group of Afrikaner intellectuals, concerned that Afrikaans is being marginalized in South Africa, met at Hammanskraal in May 2000, to launch the Group of 63, which seeks special constitutional protection for Afrikaans and other minority languages. Members include the South African writer Breyten Breytenbach. It is the first time since early last century that Afrikaners from such a diverse political spectrum have united on a cultural project.

Culture

The historical segregation of racial and ethnic groups in South Africa has resulted in distinct cultural developments. Within the white population English and European cultures have re-emerged as dominant influences, especially with the erosion of the Afrikaner-created apartheid system, and the end of the international isolation it caused. The historical distinction between the more religious and nationalistic Afrikaners and the more cosmopolitan English speakers is diminishing, especially among young people.

Among blacks, urban and rural cultures continue to differ. Urban black culture is multi-ethnic and increasingly draws on international influences, such as those of African-Americans. These influences have increased since the end of international sanctions against South Africa, which restricted artists from other countries from performing in South Africa. In the major urban areas the end of apartheid has brought about more interracial cultural activities. Generational differences within both the white and black populations also play a role in cultural expressions. In rural areas black cultural activities tend to emphasize the traditions of particular ethnic groups. Traditional Afrikaner culture is also strongest in rural areas. In recent years a new sense of self-pride has developed in the Coloured community and has found expression in writing, theatre, and music.

In 1993 the two sides agreed to hold the first multiracial elections in South Africa’s history in April 1994. A Transitional Executive Council was formed to supervise the elections, which would put in place new national and provincial governments. After difficult negotiations amid rising violence, much of it politically linked, an interim constitution was approved to serve as the country’s law until a permanent one could be written and adopted by the new parliament. The negotiators agreed that the new government would be one of “national unity”, in which minority parties with at least 5 per cent of the vote would be represented. However, the minority parties would not be able to exercise veto power over the decisions of the majority governing party.

ACTSA; Beshlie goes to Africa.

Contributors

So what's it all about then?

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Swaziland troubles. Prospect Report.

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