Swaziland: People's United Democratic Movement

Extracted from: Deane Stuart 2009 "Chapter 12: Swaziland" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 472-473.

In July 1983 students, intellectuals and trade unionists formed the People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), an underground coalition of popular organisations. The organisation only came to the public eye in late 1989 when Pudemo circulated pamphlets in the urban areas criticising the aristocracy. In the following year Pudemo members began to organise resistance to the government through the creation of civic organisations. Later in the year senior members were the subjects of a high profile treason case, which publicised the organisation's activities and objectives and broadened its support base. The organisation successfully led the opposition to the 1991 commission that reviewed the tinkhundla system. In February 1992 Pudemo announced that it was unbanning itself, and that it would henceforth operate openly in Swaziland. Pudemo launched a successful campaign of civil disobedience in January 1996 that demonstrated an urban mass base among intellectuals, students and workers. The history of conflict between Pudemo and the government, as well as its close ties with the labour movement, has radicalised the movement. In May 2003 Pudemo declared that its members would defend themselves with force from violent acts by government in inflammatory language that stopped just short of calling for an armed struggle to overthrow the state (Mzizi 2005, 16, 19-21, 23-25; Kabemba 2004, 30, 31).

Pudemo's constitution provides for elaborate structures, including wings for women and youth - and the latter, the Swaziland Youth Congress (Swayoco), has been extremely energetic, active and even more radical than Pudemo in its rhetoric. The People's Manifesto, which was adopted at Pudemo's 4th General Congress in 1996, emphasises the need to create a constitutional multiparty democracy with elected and accountable government, and to promote economic growth, development and the empowerment of citizens through a mixed market economy. Land administration should be placed in the hands of the state to ensure access to land and security of tenure and to avoid landlessness and squatting. The state should promote job creation and high levels of employment through partnerships with labour and capital. The manifesto also demands universal compulsory education, respect for the right to life, primary healthcare that is free or subsidised by the state and tertiary healthcare that is affordable, the provision of shelter for all and especially for the disadvantaged. It concludes by requiring the promotion and development of Swazi culture and the observance and protection of basic human rights and the end of state repression (Pudemo 1983; Mzizi 2005, 24-25, see also the section "New challenges to the autocratic order" for the origin and activities of Swayoco; Pudemo 1996).

Official web site

People's United Democratic Movement: [www] http://pudemo.blogspot.com/ [opens new window] (accessed 31 Mar 2010).

References

KABEMBA, C (ed) 2004 Swaziland's Struggle with Political Liberalisation, EISA Research Report No 3.

MZIZI, JB 2005 Political Movements and the Challenges for Democracy in Swaziland, Johannesburg, EISA Research Report No. 18.

PUDEMO 1983 Constitution, [www] http://pudemo.blogspot.com/1983_07_01_archive.html [opens new window] (accessed 31 Mar 2010).

PUDEMO 1996 The People's Manifesto, 1 December, [www] http://pudemo.blogspot.com/1996_12_01_archive.html [opens new window] (accessed 31 Mar 2010).