The government of Eswatini activated surveillance mechanisms in anticipation of protests on King Mswati III’s 55th birthday next week as well as on National Flag Day at the end of April.
The king’s birthday is on 19 April.
National Flag Day is on 25 April – and it commemorates the anniversary of the kingdom’s flag being hoisted for the first time in 1967.
Flag Day differs from the country’s independence day, which is celebrated on 6 September.
Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said the government was aware of plans to disrupt celebrations linked to the two important days.
“Government has observed and not taken lightly the circulating social media reports and general talk about a planned disruption of the economy through petition delivery marches and border blockades,” he said.
The first such plan had been scheduled for Wednesday, to mark the Eswatini Global Day of Action, but it failed to take off.
Masuku said any disruption to the economy was “not only selfish, but erodes the economic gains the country has achieved”.
He urged the public to report any suspicious activity, which is deemed anti-establishment, in order to contain simmering tempers, mostly from pro-democracy groups.
“Government continues to urge emaSwati to be vigilant and look out for any elements that may pose a security threat to the nation and report these through the relevant channels. I need not emphasise the fact that, as emaSwati, we should always be our brothers’ keepers,” Masuku said in a statement.
Pro-democracy groups in Eswatini are still shaken by the assassination of Thulani Maseko in January this year.
Maseko was the chairperson of a coalition of pro-democracy groups, which were calling for the abdication of the king, and also the boycott of the local electoral system – the Tinkhundla.
For now, the greater part of the resistance is being orchestrated abroad.
Wednesday was the Eswatini Global Day of Action, during which numerous civic groups called for an end to impunity in the country.
The International Trade Union Confederation, a global voice of workers, called for an end to the culture of impunity, an end to human and trade union rights violations, and justice for Maseko.
Three months later, there has been no headway regarding Maseko’s assassination.
