Swaziland Youth Congress (Swayoco) message of solidarity to YCLSA 3rd National Council

Delivered by Cde Sonkhe Dube – International Secretary

Saturday 10 December 2016

University of Johannesburg, Soweto campus

On behalf of the Swazi youth under the leadership of the Swaziland Youth Congress, the youth league of the Peoples United Democratic Movement we forward revolutionary greetings to the Young Communists League of South Africa, its structures and fraternal alliances. We are honoured to be part of the national council not only because we believe in socialism being the future but because of the practical solidarity that the YCLSA and the SACP have constantly offered to the Swazi struggle against an oppressive monarch. We believe it is in the hands of young people to deliver and practically implement socialism in our lifetime. We believe that socialism should not just be a slogan to fascinate the masses of our people or a communist jargon to decorate our documents but should be an ideology that should be practically implemented in our societies to address inequalities.

The Swazi struggle will at all material times honour and support the YCLSA and the SACP for the sacrifices that they have constantly made for the Swazis, As we speak a communist from Limpopo by the name of cde Amos Mbedzi is serving a prison sentence of 85 years in a Swazi prison. Another South African communist by the name of cde Jack Govender lost his life in Swaziland in support of the Swazi revolution. The sacrifices of these comrades were not in vain and indeed Swaziland will be liberated in our lifetime.

We would also again remind council that the Swazi youth is still oppressed by an absolute monarch who appoints the whole cabinet, judiciary, members of senate and part of the members in the national assembly without either a traditional or democratic mandate. We are the only country in Southern Africa where political parties are banned and do not contest power. We would also like to express our disgust at the regional organ of Southern Africa - SADC - for appointing Mswati who is a dictator of note as the chairman of the organ. As part of a region in which countries are ruled by political parties we wonder how the chair will lead since in his own country merely shouting “Viva PUDEMO” can lead to arrest and a prison sentence of 25 years. As a chair we are waiting to see how he will address problems within political parties in the region after his dismal failure to mediate in Zimbabwe when he led the TROIKA organ forcing the region to seek the intervention of the then South African president Thabo Mbeki to mediate.

We would also like to assure Council that the struggle for the liberation of Swaziland continues because we also want to implement socialism in our lifetime. We hope the National Council will adopt practical resolutions on the Swazi question so that the transformation to socialism does not leave out Swaziland for we have seen how such states become vulnerable to imperialists who want to destroy neighbouring socialist states.

We wish the YCLSA a successful national council and hope for an adoption of resolutions that will change the lives of poor South Africans and influence southern Africa and Africa alike.

AMANDLA!!!

VIVA YCLSA VIVA!!!

VIVA SACP VIVA!!!