SADC DELEGATION MEETS ESWATINI CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, ASSURES OF SECOND VISIT

Organ chair and Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi sent his minister of international affairs, Lemogang Kwape, and his counterparts from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) delegation sent to eSwatini after meeting with government and civil society groups on 4 July 2021. Picture: @EswatiniGovern1/Twitter

Nthakoana Ngatane 

JOHANNESBURG - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) delegation dispatched to eSwatini has met briefly with a few civil society organisations but only to assure them of a second visit.

Organ chair and Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi sent his minister of international affairs, Lemogang Kwape, and his counterparts from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Civil society organisations have been demanding to know who represented them after the government announced that the mission met NGOs.

The eSwatini government's official social media pages have posted pictures with the caption that said “the SADC organ on politics, defence & security (troika) concludes preliminary engagements with government & civil society representatives including church groups, the law society, trade unions, human rights commission & others.”

Outraged civil society formations quickly replied, some alleging that members of the royal family posed as NGOs.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Masisi said that not all stakeholders were consulted because the delegation had limited time.

He said that the purpose of the mission was to gather first-hand information about the disturbances and the state of security.

Masisi said that on their return, the ministers would talk to all involved in the dispute.