King Mswati III.
JINTY JACKSON/Gally Images
Pro-democracy activists from Eswatini welcomed the Southern African Development Community (SADC) resolution to send a fact-finding mission to Africa's last absolute monarchy.
They noted, however, that it was not the first fact-finding mission to be sent to Eswatini, with those before not yielding much progress.
Thulani Maseko, a prominent human rights lawyer from Eswatini, and Mlungisi Makhanya, leader of the People’s United Democratic Movement, the largest opposition party in the country spoke to News24.
Maseko said: "While we welcome the developments, we are concerned about what we see as a lack of decisiveness when it comes to the Eswatini question.
"The question is, how many fact-finding missions will be conducted before there is a serious commitment to a real meaningful process to resolve the crisis?"
He added that he hoped President Cyril Ramaphosa's framework for dialogue would be consolidated so that King Mswati III commits to it, although in the past, the king had not been so keen on engagement.
READ | SADC sending 'panel of elders' on fact-finding mission to Eswatini
"We do feel that the king is given leeway to delay the resolution of the impasse while he continues to harass the people in Eswatini and the leaders of the mass democratic movement.
He added:
In our view, the facts speak for themselves for the need to bring the parties to the impasse to the table of dialogue, and SADC long accepted that dialogue is the only possible and meaningful way to address the socio-economic and political crisis facing the country.
He also said that SADC should pin down the king to commit to the creation of a political climate of peace conducive to dialogue, ensuring that all political prisoners are released, exiles return home safely, and all impediments to meaningful dialogue and free political activity are removed.
Another wish from Maseko was for SADC to agree on a framework for the dialogue to start, including timelines, and the adoption of mutually agreed terms of reference.
"We do hope that the fact-finding mission will realise the urgency because the security situation is fast deteriorating," he added.
Makhanya told News24 that while SADC was going to send another fact-finding team led by a panel of elders, it owed the people of Eswatini an update on what happened with past envoys.
"While we in principle welcome the decision by the SADC summit to send the panel of elders on a fact-finding mission anywhere it deems fit, we however strongly feel that SADC owes the people of Swaziland an explanation on how far the previous fact-finding mission went and their subsequent reports," he said.
Three envoys sent by SADC have been to Eswatini in the past.
READ | EXPLAINER: State of emergency in Lesotho
Makhaya feels SADC was playing "marbles" with the Eswatini situation and as things stood, "the country will continue to burn".
While SADC handles the diplomatic side of the crisis, Makhanya said they would not wait but take matters into their own hands.
"We are not waiting for SADC to liberate us, we are liberating ourselves. Our message to our people is very clear: You are on your own and only your efforts will liberate you," he added.
He also branded SADC leaders as "elites" who are "indifferent" about the massacre of innocent people.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
HOUSTON, Texas
Donald Trump championed the job he did as head of state and criticized current President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers during a speech Tuesday at the America First Agenda Summit in Washington, D.C.
"Our country is now a cesspool of crime," he said, blaming Democrats for leaving the nation in a terrible state, especially when it comes to public safety.
"We have blood, death and suffering on a scale once unthinkable because of the Democrat Party's effort to destroy and dismantle law enforcement."
Citing that the murder rate in the US is up 51% and saying that America has "been brought to its knees" by crime, Trump focused his attention on giving police the power to make America safer.
"We have to leave our police alone," he said, emphasizing his desire to reinstate "stop and frisk" policies. "Let the people that have to have guns, that need to have guns, let them have them...take the guns away from the criminals who shouldn't be having guns."
"There should be a squad car on every corner, if that's what it takes to stop the killing," Trump emphasized while calling for more law enforcement hiring. "Our country is going to hell and is going to hell very fast. It's a very unsafe place."
The former president reinforced the importance of the midterm elections in November, saying Republicans can once again take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate with an agenda focused on battling crime, reinforcing border patrol and immigration policies, tackling record-high inflation and lowering gas prices.
While not officially throwing his hat in the ring for another presidential run, Trump said he is confident that a Republican will be back in the White House in 2024, dropping a few possible hints.
"I ran the first time and I won. Then I ran a second time and I did much better. We got millions and millions more votes," he told the crowd. "We may just have to do it again."
Trump criticized the Jan. 6 committee investigating his role in the Capitol riots, calling it the "unselect committee" with evil people only trying to do him harm.
"They want to damage you in any form," he said. "But they really want to damage me so I can no longer go back to work for you. And I don't think that's going to happen."
Trump concluded his speech, dropping more potential hints in his rhetoric.
"America's story is far from over," he continued. "We are just getting ready for an incredible comeback."
"We will make America stronger, safer, freer, greater and more glorious than ever before."
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Sakariya will play for Sunshine Coast, while Wynnum-Manly will have the services of Choudhary. Sandgate-Redcliffe have all the three PNG players - regulars with their national side, which finished third at the recent World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe - in their ranks. Vanua and Soper are medium pacers, while Amini is a legspinning allrounder.
There will also be a strong list of current or recent BBL players, some of them internationals, in the mix too: Jordan Silk, Beau Webster, Cameron Boyce, Ben Cutting, Liam Guthrie, Nick Larkin, Clint Hinchliffe, Josh Lalor, Nick Hobson, Jake Lehmann, Arjun Nair, Chris Sabburg, Nick Bertus, Ryan Gibson, Spencer Johnson and Nathan McSweeney.
In a note on its website, Queensland Cricket said, "Due to the popularity of the concept and a surge in the number of players expressing interest, Queensland Cricket today updated the competition rules to allow each Premier club to sign an additional interstate or international recruit, moving from three players per club to four.
"Several regionally based players have already brokered arrangements with teams, while contracted Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat players will be available for selection as part of their pre-season preparations."
The tournament will be played over three weeks, from August 18 to September 4, at the club grounds as well as at the refurbished Allan Border Field, under lights.
Exchanges between the MRF Pace Foundation, founded in 1987, and Australia began in 1992, when the academy opened its doors to players from beyond India's shores.
