[WSF-Discuss] Fwd: [DEBATE] : (Fwd) SASF banned or unbanned?

[Jai Sen]

For further information

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Patrick Bond <pbond at mail.ngo.za>
> Date:  October 16 2008 10:16:24 PM GMT+05:30
> To: debate: SA discussion list <debate at debate.kabissa.org>
> Subject: [DEBATE] : (Fwd) SASF banned or unbanned?
> Reply-To: pbond at mail.ngo.za, "debate: SA discussion list "  
> <debate at debate.kabissa.org>
>
> (Any updates from comrades at the front?)
>
> CANGO MEETING MUST GO AHEAD- HIGH COURT
> By Sabelo Mamba, http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php
>
> THE High Court has sanctioned the Southern Africa Social Forum  
> organised
> by the Co-ordinating Assembly of Non-Government Organisations (CANGO)
> scheduled for today at the Mavuso Trade Fair in Manzini.
>
> Judge Mabel Agyemang issued the order following an urgent application
> brought by the Foundation for Socio Economic Justice of Swaziland  
> (first
> applicants) and CANGO (second applicant), which were seeking an order
> restraining government from banning the meeting.
>
> The order was issued by consent subject to applicants' undertaking to
> ensure that they will be no march at the end of the forum.
>
> However, the aspect of the parties in agreeing to stop the march  
> did not
> go down well with some political activists, who included Mphandlana
> Shongwe.
>
> Shongwe accused CANGO of weakening the Swazi struggle, hence he
> threatened to defy the court order by staging the march.
>
> The acting Head of Government, Bheki Dlamini, had called a press
> conference on Tuesday night at the Cabinet Offices, where he said
> government had learnt that holding such a forum was aimed at
> implementing the resolutions taken by the country's labour  
> formations in
> South Africa in August.
>
> Dlamini said COSATU and local labour formations intended to use the
> forum to strengthen regional people's initiatives and in solidarity  
> with
> the struggling people of Swaziland and to raise international  
> profile of
> the Swazi struggle.
>
> Government's attorney Sanele Khuluse said they feared that the  
> forum was
> a threat to national security since it had been hijacked by unwanted
> elements like COSATU and the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions
> (SFTU).
>
> Khuluse submitted that in the past, the organisations ended up being
> violent in the presence of police officers.
>
> "Government has decided to have a change of heart," he submitted.
>
> There has been newspaper reports to the effect that COSATU will  
> actively
> participate during the forum. There applicants have made no  
> rebuttal of
> the newspaper reports, meaning they associated themselves with the
> statements.
>
> Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini argued that there was no  
> where in
> the application indicating that CANGO Director Emmanuel Ndlangamandla
> had been authorised to file the confirmatory affidavit in court.
>
> Mandla Mkhwanazi, representing the applicants, said government was
> encroaching their rights to assembly and associate in terms of the
> country's constitution.
>
> He also contended that government was not armed with a court order
> banning the forum.
>
> "We were also never consulted about the banning of the meeting  
> until we
> learnt when government called a press conference," he said.,
>
> "If the meeting is banned, the applications will lose their  
> members. In
> broad sense, the whole country stands not to benefit anything from the
> discussions. The applicants will also suffer irreparable harm since
> preparations are already at an advanced stage, bookings have already
> been made and some delegates have already arrived in the country."
>
> Mkhwanazi assured the court that COSATU would not be part of the forum
> agenda "and it will not be making any submissions."
>
> He further contended that government failed to single out in court
> papers a particular incident in which COSATU acted violently.
>
>
> ***
>
> CANGO conference ban to be enforced
>
> By Sisho Magagula
>
> @ http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=47684&section=main
>
> GOVERNMENT maintains that tomorrow's Southern African Social Forum
> organised by the Co-ordinating Assembly of Non-governmental
> Organisations (CANGO) and other formations is prohibited.
>
> At a press conference convened last night, Acting Head of Government
> Bheki Dlamini said government was misled on the substantive issues  
> to be
> deliberated upon at the forum.
>
> He said government has learnt that holding such a forum was a means to
> implement the resolutions taken by the country's labour formations in
> Sandton, South Africa in August 2008.
>
> "It is quite apparent that the resolutions taken by the local labour
> federations, together with COSATU and other formations at Sandton are
> being implemented. The nation learnt with shock and disbelief of the
> recent bombing incident at Lozitha. Soon after this incident,  
> supporters
> of the bombers came out, congratulating the bombers for their so- 
> called
> 'heroic' act. Some of the formations are the very ones that will be
> participating in the Southern African Social Forum."
>
> He said the incident in which two people were killed by a bomb at
> Lozitha was aimed at killing and maiming innocent citizens, and to
> destroy valuable infrastructure.
>
> "These acts are barbaric, inhumane, irresponsible and unacceptable by
> this government or any other civilised government," he said.
>
> When asked by reporters what would happen should CANGO persist with  
> the
> meeting, Dlamini said: "We don't expect such behaviour from CANGO. We
> trust they will heed this advice and put the interests of the country
> first. They will tell their guests that the meeting has been  
> cancelled,"
> he said.
>
> What struggle for democracy?
>
> HEAD of government, Bheki Dlamini says there is no 'struggle for
> democracy' in Swaziland as the country is independent and peaceful.
>
> He said COSATU and the local labour formations intended to use the  
> forum
> to strengthen regional people's initiatives and in solidarity with the
> struggling people of Swaziland, and to raise the international profile
> of the Swazi struggle. "The view of government is that the so-called
> 'Swazi Struggle' does not exist."
>
> Dlamini warned against the intended border blockade by COSATU and  
> local
> labour unions during the period October 27 to November 1, 2008.
>
> "The blockade of goods is illegal and grossly violates  
> international and
> regional principles on the free movement of goods and persons. The
> repercussions of the blockade will not only have negative impact on  
> the
> economy but also directly affect the people employed by the  
> industries,
> whose goods will not be handled by the COSATU members," he said.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/debate

______________________________

Jai Sen
jai.sen at cacim.net
CACIM, A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India
www.cacim.net
Ph : +91-11-4155 1521, 4155 0963 - PLEASE NOTE NEW SECOND NUMBER !

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