Umamah Bakharia

King Mswati III has praised the Eswatini police for the handling of last year’s pro-democracy demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed. The people of Eswatini have been taking to the streets in demand of the end of the monarchy.

Speaking to Radio Islam, the Eswatini Communist Party’s Thokozane Kenneth Kunene says the protests on pro democracy continues.

“A war has broken in a country, a country that is pregnant in a revolution whereby the people who are oppressed have stood up and continue to stand up and organize protests,” says Kunene.

He adds that the expression of the people have always been met with people of the regime with brutally.

“Police are part of the enemy,” says Kunene as he expresses that the situation in Eswatini has become worse with many of its people wanting the end of the monarchy.

Due to the unrest in the kingdom, schools open their gates and close them as the education system faces a financial crisis. “The regime instead of responding to the outcry [reacted by enforcing police to engage if there is a pro democracy demonstration],” says Kunene.

It is unclear when the people of Eswatini and authorities will reach an agreement to end the violence and bloodshed that has continued for years.