Afrika Kontakt modtager demokrati-pris på vegne af Mario Masuku

Af Peter Kenworthy, Kommunikations- og Projektmedarbejder

(English translation below)

Morten Nielsen,
informationsmedarbejder i Afrika Kontakt, modtog i går SWADEWA Democracy Prize 2010 på vegne af PUDEMO-leder Mario Masuku, ”for det arbejde Mario Masuku med sit parti gør for at ændre systemet”. Prisen består af en forgyldt megafon samt 1000 USD, og blev overrakt af Socialdemokratiets udenrigsordfører Mogens Lykketoft i landstingssalen. Han pointerede blandt andet i sin præsentationstale, at prisen var vigtig, og at alle de tilstedeværende var opsat på at få demokrati i Swaziland.

Morten Nielsen læste en tale op, som Mario Masuku havde skrevet til lejligheden, hvori han blandt andet fremhævede at han modtog prisen på vegne af alle undertrykte i Swaziland. Han bad desuden EU om at indføre sanktioner mod, og lægge økonomisk pres på, Swaziland, og takkede for den gestus som prisen repræsenterede, som han håbede ville være med til at lægge yderligere pres på regimet i Swaziland.

Morten Nielsen holdt herefter en kort tale, hvor han fokuserede på den samlende effekt, som den i Sydafrika baserede Swaziland Democracy Campaign ville kunne have, og at Sydafrika, som er Swazilands klart største samhandelspartner og derfor en potentielt vigtig allieret for demokratibevægelsen, var ved at blive mere kritiske over regimet i Swaziland. Han sluttede med at konstatere, at regimet førte en hovedløs politik på mange områder. Eksempelvis havde regimet for nyligt ”skudt sig selv i foden ved at underskrive en økonomisk
partnerskabsaftale med den Europæiske Union”, som ville være ”en katastrofe” for Swaziland fordi toldunionen med Sydafrika hermed vil blive ophævet, og at aftalen i øvrigt generelt set var en dårlig aftale for Swaziland.

Africa Contact receive award on behalf of Mario Masuku
Morten Nielsen, Information Officer at Africa Contact, yesterday accepted the Swaziland Democracy Prize 2010 on behalf of PUDEMO President Mario Masuku, "for the work that Mario Masuku and his party have done to change the system in Swaziland". The award, a gold plated megaphone and a check for US$1000, was presented by the Foreign Affairs Spokesman for the Danish Social Democratic Party, Mogens Lykketoft, in the Danish parliament. In his presentation speech, Lykketoft called the award "important" and concluded that all those present were interested in democratisation in Swaziland.

Morten Nielsen read Mario Masuku's acceptance speech, wherein he said that he accepted the prize on behalf of the suppressed Swazi population. He also asked the EU to impose sanctions against Swaziland and to pressurize the country economically, and ended by thanking SWADEWA for the prize and the gesture that it represented and by saying that he hoped that it would help apply further pressure on the Swazi regime.

Morten Nielsen then held a short speech where he focused on the potential effect of the South African based Swaziland Democracy Campaign and that South Africa, Swaziland's biggest trade partner by far, and thus potentially an important ally for the democratic movement, were becoming increasingly vocal in their criticism of the Swazi regime. He ended his speech by concluding that the policies of the regime were generally ridiculous. An example of such a policy was Swaziland "shooting themselves in the foot by signing an economical partnership agreement with the European Union that will end up being a disaster for the country because this will mean that Swaziland can no longer be part of the customs union with South Africa. Also, the EPA is generally a bad agreement for Swaziland".