Blossom of Thought

In this episode, Africans from all over the world share their thoughts about the honourable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s legacy and contribution to the world struggle for justice and humanity. This episode published just a few days after King's birthday - January 15. We are greatful for the Africans who have taken their time, space, intellects and energy to make this episode a success.

My guest in this episode is Ahjamu Umi (from Sacramento, USA) and we speak about separating Judaism from Zionism. Ahjamu is a dedicated activist/organizer/author who has engaged in on the groundwork throughout Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. for about 4 decades now. His latest work is "A Guide for Defense against White Supremacist, Patriarchal, and Fascist Violence." His other works are “The Paradox Principles”, The Courage Equation, Mass Incarceration in California; Its about Profits, Not Justice. Last but not least, Ahjamu is an organizer with the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, a Pan-Africa political party based in Africa with Chapters all over the world.

On his return to the show, Ahjamu outlines the history of Zionism and distinguishes Judaism from Zionism. He dispels a lot of myths and confusion surrounding this subject.

Find Ahjamu at:

https://www.abetterworld.me/blog/category/all

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086621071747

In this episode we seek to tap into the record the establishment, historical development of the The All African People's Revolutionary Party (AAPRP) a political party engaged in organizing all people of African descent for The total liberation and unification of Africa under an All-African Socialist Government. I have invited seasoned organizers from the party who have done organizing for decades. They are John Trimble (in Azania/South Africa) and Albie Walls (in Ghana).

Albie Walls initially joined the Pan-African movement while a university student in the U.S.A. in the 1980s. A long-time member of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) he has lived and worked in Ghana since 2000. He has traveled extensively in Africa and he has represented the A-APRP on various platforms and programs in Africa, Europe and the U.S.A. His work has involved meeting and working with various Pan-African organizations in different countries as well as extensive work with students of all ages. Among other things, in Ghana he currently works with students, youth, and the community at large, in an effort to help organize and advance the Pan-African movement.

John Trimble is an educator and organizer with the Azania chapter of the All African People's Revolutionary Party. John holds a Master's degree from Stanford University in computer science and from UC Berkeley in operations research as well as a Ph.D. in systems engineering from Georgia Tech. In 2015 John retired as an Associate professor in systems and computer science at Howard University. John has recently retired as Professor in Industrial Engineering at Tshwane University of Technology in Azania/South Africa.

Dr. Trimble’s numerous research interests include ‘the study and development of appropriate technology for national development in Africa and other underdeveloped regions’.

Living over two years in Zimbabwe gives Prof. Trimble a good understanding of the impact of sanctions on the people. Working in Rwanda from 2006 to 2008, gave him a clear picture of the aftermath of genocide and the determination of Africa people to rebuild. Since 2014, Trimble has lived in South Africa working closely with the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) and the Azanian People’s Organization (AZAPO). He is a co-founder of the Worldwide Pan-African Movement (WWPAM), an effort to build a coalition of Africanist organizations. Prof. Trimble can be called on to speak on a range of topics.

Information on the AAPRP can be accessed here: https://aaprp-intl.org/

Rafiki Morris is my guest for this episode. Rafiki is Muralist/Artist, Writer, Poet, Lecturer Politics: Revolutionary Pan-Africanist and cadre and a Central Committee Member in the All African People's Revolutionary Party. Some of the Works and/or Novels written by Rafiki are “The Call of the Drum”; “The Giant and the Fire”; “Leaving Eden”; War: The Blood in Our Eyes.

The subject we discuss is one within philosophical lines, namely: Consciencism, An African World View. 

Rafiki takes a deep dive into Consciencism and the principles (egalitarianism, humanism, and collections) upon which this philosophy - coined by Kwame Nkrumah -  is embedded. He posits that "African people have always had some philosophy and the ethical principles of Consciencism, (egalitarianism, humanism, and collectivism) are traceable to the philosophical principles of early communal African life.” He adds that ‘more important is the recognition that Consciencism is not a complete system of thought. Consciencism cannot be completed because its dynamic nature is permanently engaged in the process of becoming.’

Other concepts delineated in this record related to consciencism are African personality, dialectical materialism, amongst others. Consciencism is a fundamental ideology for decolonization and liberation of Africa.

Joining me today to talk about the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, is GeeChee Yaw. Geechee is a published author, activist, organizer - has organized in the UK, the Baltimore and DC area and also organizes in Central America. Geechee is a member of a number of organizations like BPM. He provides research work and curriculums for a number of organizations. He is also a contributing writer for the Hood Communist - A collective of African revolutionary nationalists using journalism to advance the struggle for African liberation.

Geechee gives insights into foundations and/or non-profit organizations and how their funders influence and, to a large extent, shape the objectives of those they fund. Foundations are a good way of tax sheltering.

On the subject, Geechee says: We should be asking the question - How is wealth built? How is poverty built? To these questions, Geechee opines in this rather radical way: "Wealth is built through violance, public policy and fraud."

Find Geechee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007575525523

Mandla Hlatjwayo, Chairman of Letfu Sonkhe Institute for Strategic Thinking and Development returns to the show. Letfu Sonkhe Institute provides an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, educators and politicians to meaningfully engage and discuss the on-going challenges of Swaziland. Mandla has provided leadership in a litany of areas including in various corporations in Swaziland and South Africa. His education Includes a law degree from University of SD, an Executive Development Program from the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa and a Bookkeeping- Intermediate from Pitman Institute in London. Mandla and I talk about debt, international finance and economics. Swaziland is equally exploited as other African nations and it presents a micro level of Africa's debt to the western world. Says Plutarch: The greed of creditors brings neither development nor dividends to the poor, and ruins developing countries. They do not till the fields which they take from their debtors, nor do they live in their houses after evicting them.” Swaziland’s debt makes up about 48% of the country's GDP. The Southern Africa Customs Union and to some extent the workers pension funds cushions the country's debt. Significant creditors of Swaziland are the IMF, African Development Bank, the Arab world as well as India etc.

So much capital has been put into projects that have become white elephants/unproductive. The informal sector is neglected, yet it should connect with the formal sector - and that's how wealth can be created for the small player in the street. Agriculture is a missing link in the empowerment of the masses.

The exploitative dynamics of Coca Cola in Swaziland manifests in little tax contribution despite its large share of the economy at 26%.Poor national governance standards contribute to the exploitation of workers, blood and sweat of labour is not equitable compensated in the labour intensive sectors of the economy.

As far as the education system is concerned, schools in Swaziland are not structured to have young people come out of school with valuable skills - to use their hands and minds in crafts and services. Investment in human capital to add value to the economy is seriously wanting. Hence, Swazis do not produce products of higher quality than the exploitative labour intensive industries in rural agriculture, textile and the small manufacturing sector. Therefore, the education system needs serious overhauling so that Swazis can be capacitated to take charge of their lives and create opportunities for their own participation in the economy as both workers and entrepreneurs. This requires the integration of new/modern methods of training and education in order to change the fortune of the economy/country and to catch up with the rest of the world.

This is a tributary episode on the world-renowned activist and human rights attorney, Thulani R Maseko (TR) from Swaziland, who was allegedly slain by King Mswati III's regime (Swaziland). For this homage, my guest is Velaphi Mamba a long-time friend and comrade of TR. Velaphi Mamba is a vibrant activist and treasurer general of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), and recent master's degree graduate from Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Velaphi and I talk about:

*Historiography and ethnology of the Maseko clan and their major contributions to Swaziland's polity.

*The Swazi state's stratagem of complete decimation of other clans' chiefs, and kingdoms - an erasure of the history of the clans causing a loss of self-determination and independence.

*TR's litany of human rights cases and his contribution to the jurisprudence in Swaziland and his service to humanity internationally.

Find Velaphi Mamba Here:

https://www.facebook.com/velaphi.mamba.3?mibextid=ZbWKwL

On this episode, from Charleston South Carolina, US, I have brother Khet Waas Hutip - a health and body healing expert, entrepreneur, educator and founder of Sacred Rootz shop. Khet is protégée of the famed Dr. Laila Africa one of the world's foremost authorities on health and nutrition. Khet appeals to the return to traditional African healing modality - herbs, and that Africans should eat for their culture to avoid disease.

In this episode we critically analyze "The Woman King" movie with my guests Lena Crawford (Texas US) and Geechee Yaw (Costa Rica). My guests talk about the context of the making of the movie, its historical context, and inaccurate depiction of African history. The scriptwriters are European. This is one of those situations where African history has to be told through the lens of Europeans instead of having Africans tell their own story. The movie paints an inaccurate picture of slavery in West Africa between the Oyo kingdom, Dahomey kingdom, and the Portuguese slave traders. The fact of aggression and violence of European slave traders is almost non-existent in the film. The film doesn’t show Africa’s prolonged resistance and fight against slave trade in that part of the continent. Neither does the film show the real prolonged problem of Africans – namely: capitalism and/or colonialism. Lena and Geechee also critically question the opening sexual assault scene and how it is intended to paint Africa at the time as struggling with rape (sexual assault).

The controllers of Hollywood/capitalist always ride on the wave of the consciousness of black people and manipulate it for their own financial gain and divert the energies of the people to Hollywood and Hollywood posing as the source of African history.

My guest in this episode is Ahjamu Umi (from Sacramento, USA) and we speak about the radical side of Marthin L. King. Ahjamu is a dedicated activist/organizer/author who has engaged in on the groundwork throughout Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. for about 4 decades now. His latest work is "A Guide for Defense against White Supremacist, Patriarchal, and Fascist Violence." This work is a step-by-step methodology on how to build strong empowered communities while linking them to the international struggle for justice and forward human progress. His other works are “The Paradox Principles”, The Courage Equation, Mass Incarceration in California; Its about Profits, Not Justice. Last but not least, Ahjamu is an organizer with the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, a Pan-Africa political party based in Africa with Chapters all over the world.

Ahjamu has studied Martin King and organized for many years with Kwame Ture who worked side-by-side with Dr King. The masses of the people make history, Dr King did make history. Martin King’s was a principled, honest man that loved his people to death and paid the prize for them. According to Ahjamu and Kwame Ture, King’s “Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam” speech is his best speech ever while “I Have a Dream” is a mediocre speech. Ahjamu differentiates mobilizing from organizing. He says King erred by confusing non-violence as a principle instead of a tactic. Ahjamu quotes Kwame Ture: “In order for non-violence to work you must have a conscience and the American government doesn’t have a conscience.” King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 while serving his people (workers union).

Find Ahjamu Umi and his work at: https://www.abetterworld.me/

Sandile Bhembe, a Swazi historian, business analyst, and political activist returns to the show to talk about the origins of the Police Force in Swaziland. Police in Swaziland, like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, have increasingly become very violent and brutal to civilians agitating for democratic changes. Sandile tells us that the Police Force was established to protect  European white settler capital interests. A hardly told story of Sobhuza II's mistrust of Police because of their loyalty to British settlers is told here. Astonishingly, the king was once arrested by the police as white settlers had no regard for the king.

This episode is on King Mswati III - the King of Swaziland - as a businessman and the effect that has on the rule of law, the economy, the political landscape and the business community. To talk about this subject, I'm joined by a very decorated leader - Mandla Hlatjwayo. Mandla Hlatshwayo is an activist and founding member of the Peoples United Democratic Movement [Pudemo]. He is also the Chairman of Letfu-Sonk­he Institute for Strategic Thinking and Development living in exile in South Africa. Letfu Sonkhe Institute provides an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, educators and politicians to meaningfully engage and discuss the on-going challenges of Swaziland.

Friends/comrades Saneliswa Magagula, Temazulu Zulu, and Sylvester Mhlangameet up with me for a book review on the history of Swaziland. The book under review is “The Kingdom of Swaziland: Studies in Political History (Contributions in Comparative Colonial Studies) authored by D. Hugh Gillis. The book entails Swaziland’s history from the 18th century to 1921 – before Sobhuza II ascends to power. Its focus is the Swazis’ contact and struggle with European colonizers, namely: the British and Boers. The book gives context to the current state of affairs in Swaziland relative to the power wielders – the monarch, culture, tradition and social milieu.

Highlights

· There is a deliberate ongoing effort to erase parts of Swazi culture that disparage the Dlamini royals, an attempt to protect their (Dlamini) dynasty and cement their standing as the custodians of Swazi culture who dictate what traditions persist.

·  A study of this history will help Swazis understand how the monarchs’ erasure of culture and downplaying the role of non-Dlamini chiefdoms contributed to the present-day political landscape.

· The author traces the roots of Swaziland’s tinkhundlasystem of governance to the early 19th century, where a militant king Mswati II established royal villages that were entrusted to a brother, a wife, or loyal chief as a way to consolidate power.

The identity of the Swazi people historically was deep-rooted in rituals and mythology, which contributed to the prestige of Kings and authoritarian rule not being sufficiently challenged in the past.

An esteemed human rights lawyer from Swaziland, Sibusiso Nhlabatsi speaks to me on terrorism legislations, Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act, 2008 ("the Act"), and judicial crisis. Mr Nhlabatsi is known for his fortitude and taking critical human rights cases in Swaziland - even against the machinary of government.

In this episode we talk about: most terrorism legislations have been promulgated as weapons of governments to clamp down on political opponents. Swaziland Suppression of Terrorism Act is no different. The government passed it on a certificate of urgency devoid of following legislative promulgation processes. The Act violates fundamental human rights and the government has been using it to proscribe political movements as terrorist and to silence dissent. A full bench of the High Court of Swaziland, in 2016 declared some of the provisions of the Act unconstitutional. Six years later (2022) the government resuscitates its appeal at the Supreme Court and gets an unprecedented condonation for its laxity in failing to execute the appeal. Ostensibly, government's renewal of its interest to execute the appeal has been incentivized by the current political unrest.  Mr. Nhlabatsi laments that the judiciary in Swaziland is in shambles. 

FInd Sibusiso Nhlabatsi on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sibusiso.nhlabatsi

In this episode, we sit down with Erica Caines to discuss Anti-Consumerism. Erica is a poet, writer, and organizer in Baltimore, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia. She is an organizing committee member of the anti-war coalition, the Black Alliance For Peace as well as an outreach member of the Black-centered Ujima People’s Progress Party. Caines founded Liberation Through Reading in 2017 as a way to provide Black children with books that represent them and created the extension, a book club entitled Liberation Through Reading BC, to strengthen political education online and in our communities.

Erica defines consumerism as the "buy, buy, buy" mentality where we are constantly bombarded with advertisements inducing us to buy goods we don't need with money we don't have. She goes on to speak about the subtleties of marketing or Influencer-based marketing. Erica unpacks the relationship between the promotion of luxury and consumerism and influencer networks across social and mainstream media. She faults the capitalist system for making happiness e synonymous with consumerism. Finally, Erica shares the strategies for shedding consumerism.

In this episode, I connect with Maxine Davis in England and we are discussing England's Underdevelopment of Africa over the past 500 years and Queen Elizabeth II's legacy and brutality against Africa and Africans. Sister Maxine is a committed Pan-Africanist born in England, of Jamaican parentage. She describes herself as an African born away from home. She's been a member and organizer for 30 years for the ALL African Peoples Revolutionary Party, founded by the father of Pan-Africanism, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah. She is a community activist seeking to build racial justice for people of African descent in England. She has a MA in African history.

"The rebirth of civilization in Europe began in the 15th century. At this time Africa and Asiatic Civilizations far outstripped Europe." - W.E.B. De Bois

Mr. Dumsane Tembe comes to the platform to talk about confusing liberal democracy with liberation in Swaziland. Mr. Tembe has a master’s in political science. He is a governance specialist, and political analyst, has experience in public policy development in RSA, writer, columnist, and blogger (Kunjalo D.co.za). He is doing his Ph.D. on the relationship between political leadership and government performance.

Some of Mr. Tembe’s views and talking points in this episode are Swaziland and political negotiation, and liberalism versus liberation. Tembe believes that “If you are fighting for liberation, you don’t fight for dialogue, you fight for freedom.” If there are proper revolutionaries in Swaziland, they should intensify the struggle and not prioritize the dialogue. A dialogue is a smooth way of sustaining the status quo – it doesn’t bring change – a good example is South Africa. If the struggle is not won in the bush, it will not be won on the table – a fact to be learned from the South African struggle – a fact that has repeated itself.

His view on liberalism is that in liberal democracy there is more propaganda and make-belief than the actual substance of freedom. Liberalism creates phony equality. Liberal democracy is unsustainable in a society of abject poverty such as Swaziland. Liberal democracy is about the rules of the political game not improving the lives of the people.

Swaziland lacks servant leadership and it only has a parasitic leadership and needs a system that centers a Swazi citizen as the primary beneficiary.

Dr. Jabulani Matsebula returns to the show to converse with me about Good Governance relative to Swaziland. Dr. Matsebula has a Ph.D. in political sociology. He has held various positions in academia and government in Australia, including international multilateral engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), G20, and OECD. He is also a founding member of PUDEMO one of the largest liberation political formations in Swaziland.

We begin the discussion on the broader and complex concept of democracy and how it should be understood in the Kingdom of Swaziland. After this highlight, we zeroed things down to the main subject of this episode – good governance – the cornerstone of democracy. On this subject, Dr. Matsebula expounds on the enablers of good governance in general. This set the tone for Dr. Matsebula to respond to the critical question: Is democracy possible under a constitutional monarchy system dominated by the Dlamini royal family dynasty? Our guest makes it clear that the institution of the Swazi monarchy is irrelevant in Swazi politics. Hence Swaziland has a debt of R 26.9 billion. If the monarchy is maintained post-liberation, it is likely that it will pollute the new political landscape, says Dr. Matsebula. The government of the monarch rates terribly against the principles of good governance, and this bad governance is founded on king Sobhuza II’s 1973 proclamation (royal coup). We also give an analysis of the African culture – Ubuntu –as having the wherewithal to found good governance. Hence good governance is based on universal principles, not a European concept. By way of concluding this episode, Dr. Matsebula gives an outline of key factors that would underpin post-liberation democracy namely:

• Annual GDP growth of 6 percent or above. Infrastructure development and job creation as a high priority.
• Reduced unemployment rate to a single digit and set a trend toward full employment
• Improved healthcare service – investment in new healthcare infrastructure as a priority.
• Significant progress on transitioning the economy to digital production and services through improved access to high speed internet.
• Improved fiscal management through smart and targeted public investment
• Transformation of the public sector into an ethical professional body committed to serving the government of the day and the public.
• Improved quality of education and access.
• Efficiency and honesty in government supported by a system of checks and balances, accountability, and transparency.
• A functioning multi-party democracy evidenced by the separation of powers, collaboration between the three arms of government and active multi-party participation.
• Reduced poverty and increased access to opportunities for all. No one left behind or held back in the true spirit of Ubuntu and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. therefore I am.’

My guest in this episode is Sandile Bhembe - a Swazi historian, business analyst, political activist, and member of the Peoples United Democratic Party (one of the political parties in Swaziland). Our discussion is on King Sobhuza II and his cunning traditionalism/elite culture based on the controversial belief that the people of Swaziland are Swazis before they are Africans.

The highlights of our talk are:

• The famed and much promulgated King Sobhuza II as one who has single-handedly gotten the Swazi people independence from Britain.
• After the loss of the case in the Privy Council, Sobhuza II “changed his tactic and altered his persona refashioning himself into an arch-traditionalist.” He used traditionalism/“Elite culture”  as a basis of his political legitimacy and as a spear against political opponents or Swazi dissent.
• How fear of modem African nationalism and majority rule united the tribal authorities (Sobhuza II’s camp) and the white community/settlers - including the advent of political parties, leading to Sobhuza II’s coup of 1973, Dr. Ambrose Zwane case, and 60 days detention, etc.
• How in the 1930s and 1940s Sobhuza II began to strengthen and consolidate his cultural hegemony. Bhembe gives the genesis, evolution, and historical background of Tinkhundla.
• Sobhuza II, prior to the April 1973 Decree had begun developing an army to counter his “lifelong mistrust of police loyalty,” as a motivation to establish political control.
• The monarch is an outdated backward and very expensive project.
• The irrationality of the claim of section 80 of Swaziland’s Constitution (2005) on decentralization of power and authority.

I talk to Dr. John Trimble on Imperialism and Settler-Colonialism in this episode. John Trimble is an educator and organizer with the Azania chapter of the All African People's Revolutionary Party. John holds a Master's degree from Stanford University in computer science and from UC Berkeley in operations research as well as a Ph.D. in systems engineering from Georgia Tech. In 2015 John retired as an Associate professor in systems and computer science at Howard University. John has recently retired as Professor in Industrial Engineering at Tshwane University of Technology in Azania/South Africa.

Points of Discussion:

• European adventurism and land grabbing in Africa, Pacific, Americas etc., founded settler colonies/states. Capitalism was built on the theft of land and resources in the process of colonization.
• The effects of settler colonialism on indigenous people.
• The best approach to reversing the effects of settler colonialism in Africa.
• Psychological warfare and tactics used by imperialist/colonizers to justify theft of land and the genocide against indigenous people.
• Settler colonial efforts in Africa from the 1884 Berlin conference. Settler Colonialism in Algeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa.
•  Africa's transition from independence to neocolonialism. Disunity enables neocolonialism.
• The crusade to reclaim land back to natives without compensation in Zimbabwe and Azania/South Africa.
• Why the Pan-African project with political education and organizing are fundamental tools towards the total liberation and unification of Africa from imperialist.

Pius Vilakati is the guest for this episode. Pius is a political activist and International Secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland. He is a political exile, resident in South Africa. He is a former president of the Student Representative Council (SRC), a student board, of the University of Swaziland. In this episode, we explore the subject of Class Struggle in Swaziland: Pre-and-Post-Independence Swazi Socio-Economic Conditions.

We discuss:

• Pre-colonial socio-economic conditions in Swaziland and Europeans’ integration with the native aristocracy for the exploitation of the masses.
• The Swazi resistance to colonialism
• The establishment of a capitalist state in Swaziland, class struggle, and the rise of trade unions in Swaziland - moving from feudalism and communalism to capitalism.
• Post-independence and neo-colonialization of Swaziland
• The Swazi royalty cooperated with colonizers to oppress the Swazi people.
• How Sobhuza II’s sabotaged the workers' movement to benefit the royal family (Swazi aristocrats) and European settlers.
• Monarchical absolutism.
• How Sobhuza II undermined the Azanian/South African liberation struggle through.
• Like all Africans, the people of Swaziland have always fought for the control of their land.
• In neo-colonialism, the colonizers will give you “freedom”, the flag, elections, national anthem, parliament, etc., but they control your economy and policies.
• Swaziland is still a source of raw materials for exploitation and a labour force for the exploitation of our people for the benefit of foreign capital – e.g., the textile industry.
• In Swaziland we need a democracy where ownership of the country and means of production are at the hands of the people – that means a truly sovereign state independent of foreign influence.

On his return to our platform, distinguished Dr. Jabulane Matsebula speaks economic crisis in Swaziland and provides solutions. Dr. Matsebula has a Ph.D. in political sociology and has held various positions in academia and government in Australia, including international multilateral engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), G20, and OECD.  He is also a founding member of PUDEMO one of the largest liberation political formations in Swaziland.

He talks about:

• The pillars or indicators of economic growth – namely – population, participation, productivity and production of goods and services, etc.
• Leading economies are now operating on a digital platform economy and Swaziland should take the same trajectory.
• Swaziland runs two economies: the general economy and the royal family economy.
• King Mswati’s use of first-world status as a concept of economic analysis is an outdated post-cold war concept not used anymore in contemporary economic analysis. The Dr. thinks unemployment amongst young people in Swaziland is a national crisis and must be treated as such. The government has been unable to control unemployment for over 20 years.
• What Swaziland needs is a government that works for the people and the general well-being of the people living in Swaziland. The government is preparing the youth for jobs that will not be there in the future.
• The money given to the royal family by the government doesn’t go back to circulate in the economy because they shop overseas
• The political system in Swaziland is rotten to the core and it can’t support economic growth. Swaziland needs a new system to rescue the economy. As things stand, there is more economic pain ahead for Swaziland.
• If there are massive people without jobs, wages go down or they don’t grow.

Legislator, Mduduzi G. Simelane returns to our show to give an update on the current political conundrum in the kingdom of Swaziland/eSwatini. More arrest and brutalizing of protestors and pro-democracy movement leaders by the king's armed forces continues.  

The legislator talks about:

• The main objective of Swaziland Liberation Movement (Swalimo) in the struggle.
• What can be done to force the king to take the dialogue as an urgent matter?
• Is it still relevant to anticipate dialogue with the king or Swazis have an alternative?
• The king ritualistic seclusion using derogatory words against the citizens.
• An invitational message to SADC, Chairman of SADC and president of South Africa, President Ramaphosa, and the rest of international community.

Dr. Jabulane Matsebula is the guest for this episode. Dr. Matsebula completed a Ph.D. in political sociology in 2005 focusing on political developments in South Africa during the apartheid period and the transition to inclusive democracy. Dr. Matsebula has held various positions in academia and government in Australia, including international multilateral engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), G20, and OECD. He is an experienced researcher, political analyst, negotiator, project manager, and stakeholder engagement. In academia, Dr. Matsebula has taught various political science subjects including international human rights law, governance, social movements, political transitions, public policy research, and the social influence on educational and employment outcomes.

From 2016 to 2020, Dr. Matsebula represented the Australian Government in APEC forums in Peru, Viet Nam (ministerial-level dialogue), Papua New Guinea, Chile, and Malaysia. He led negotiations on the development of a regional framework for labour mobility management to allow a coordinated flow of human resources across the 21 APEC member states. During this time, Dr. Matsebula worked closely with senior government officials and subject matter experts from the World Bank, OECD, International Organization for Migration, International Labour Organization, APEC Secretariat, and universities across the region. In 2021, Dr. Matsebula founded a not-for-profit organization, People Against Poverty and Corruption, to alleviate poverty and fight corruption in Southern Africa. Dr. Mastebula is also one of the founding members of the Peoples United Democratic Party, one of the political parties in Swaziland.

We talk about:

• Lesson on the SADC response on the anticipated national dialogue.
• Differences between "national dialogue," "political dialogue," and "political negotiation."
• Are the conditions conducive for a dialogue that will produce a worthy outcome that will benefit the Swazi people?
• How possible is a sound dialogue under the current constitution?
• What can be done to make sure that the dialogue is democratic, and all concerned people have their voice not only heard but considered.
• SADC has an agreement with King Mswati on the model of the dialogue without consulting "We the People."
• Misgivings on the alliances such as the Political Party Assembly, Multi-Stakeholder Forum, and Swaziland United democratic Front representing Swazis in the dialogue.
• Trust has been eroded in public or government institutions and what can be done to restore it.

Jacqueline Luqman is the guest for this episode. She co-hosts “By Any Means Necessary” on Radio Sputnik, a daily show that analyzes current political and social events through an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, radical Black internationalist tradition and lens. She is also a contributor to The Real News Network, Editor-In-Chief of the social media program Coffee, Current Events & Politics in Luqman Nation, and a contributor to Black Power Media. She has more than 20 years of activism in Washington, DC focusing on participating in and supporting community-level issues as well as regional and national that impact working-class, poor, and oppressed people in the US and abroad. She is a member of the Black Alliance for Peace, Pan-African Community Action, is a supporter of several other grassroots radical Black-focused and led organizations, and is an active member of the Board of Social Action in Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, a progressive church in Washington, DC. https://sputniknews.com/author_luqman_jacqueline/

Jacqueline talks to us on:

• Five issues affecting, as she puts it, Africans in America (African Americans) – a) gentrification, b) miseducation, c) police assassination, d) mass incarceration and e) access to wealth.
• The struggle of African people all over the world is not covered in mainstream media in the U.S and that’s intentional.
• The struggle is the same for all Africans around the world – it's almost cultural.
• Miseducation - African Americans were told they didn’t have a history before enslavement.
• African Americans are conditioned to think that capitalism is the only economic system that makes sense.
• Police assassination- Barack Obama did nothing when African Americans were killed vigilant style. Police in the US are not legally required to report police brutality to anyone.
• Mass incarceration – African Americans were considered surplus people once enslavement was illegal. Mass incarceration is nothing more than the extension of the slave codes, black codes during the Jim Craw.
• The capitalist system, right along with white supremacy and militarism, is at the root of all the problems of African people.

Find Jacqueline Luqman on

YouTube: Black Power Media & Luqman Nation

Twitter: Luqmannation1

Radio: Sputniknews.com listen live from 2:00 to 4:00 PM EST M-F and watch on YouTube from 3:00-4:00 at By Any Means Necessary.

Music artist, minister of religion, teacher, legislator, and activist of social justice - Honorable Mduduzi 'Gaw'zela Simelane, a man, amongst others, at the heart of political turmoil in Swaziland records with me his sentiments on the political warfare in Africa's last absolute monarch. A black cloud continues to hang over the kingdom of Swaziland. Calls for democracy are as vibrant as never before. Bloodshed and carnage persist – the king, his military, and police are killing unarmed citizens on their peaceful protests and call for democratic changes.

Highlights from my conversation with the "Legislator of Love:"

• Hon' Gaw'zela says "Every Swazi is me and I am every Swazi."
• For this course (laboring for the freedom of the Swazi people), I was born, says the legislature.
• King Swati is living in the 1800 - he is totally irrelevant and disconnected from reality. The people can live without the monarchy
• Gaw'zela made telling and critical pronouncements in parliament numerous times but was astounded when the local media failed to report the same.  
• The legislator tells why parliament is an intimidating environment. Whatever occurs in parliament which doesn't suit the king will never see the light of day. Parliamentarians have no power in Swaziland, only as they are permitted by the king.
• The enemy of the people uses ignorance to suppress Swazis.
• Hon' Gaw'zela opens up on why he started to record his parliamentary speeches and debates.
• 50 years of oppression and the rise of a sleeping giant that is relegating the autocratic regime to the recycle bin of history. 
• The oppressor has been using culture to oppress the people. Values such as respect and peace have been used to hibernate Swazis. 
• Erstwhile King, Sobhuza 11, was a cunning ruler that deceived Swazis. King Mswati is the worst monster and dictator in Swaziland.
• The captured Swazi media and corporations who are in bed with the murderous regime have, arguably, almost no space in anticipated democratic Swaziland.
• No night has ever been too long such that the sun never rises. Gaw'zela commits to fight with the Swazi people.

Armed forces in eSwatini continue to brutalize and kill emaSwati who are calling for a democratic dispensation in the country. During recent protests, police and the military fired live ammunition, killing over 80 unarmed civilians, while hundreds of others sustained major injuries and were left permanently disabled or in need of continued medical care. Most of their stories have not been reported due to the regime’s silencing tactics which include the state capture of the media, internet shut down in the height of civil unrest, as well as continued targeted harassment and intimidation of ordinary citizens. The atrocities committed by the monarchy’s police and military are now being exposed in a new documentary called “The Unthinkable”, where some of the Swazis who have been gravely affected tell their stories. We are joined by the executive producer of the film Comfort Ndzinisa, as well as Mandla Dlamini, who is the convenor of the eSwatini Solidarity Fund. The documentary titled “The Unthinkable: The bloodiest week in Africa’s last absolute monarch” premiers at 6 pm GMT+2 on Sunday, 3 October 2021 on the SWAZILAND NEWS Facebook page.

Highlights

Þ Comfort explains how the unbelievable nature of the victims’ circumstances inspired the title of the documentary.

Þ Mandla clarifies Comfort’s critical role in the documentary inception and the importance of hearing firsthand stories from the survivors beyond looking at the statistics.

Þ Comfort explains how his personal experience with his sister’s murder and being failed by the justice system motivated him to create this documentary.

Þ Comfort talks about how making the documentary and seeing the aftermath of the massacre conscientized him politically, and encouraged him to play a role in making others understand the extent of what the people are through.

Þ Mandla describes how the solidarity fund has evolved beyond humanitarian efforts, into being an accessible platform for people to contribute to the emancipation of the Swazi people.

Þ In terms of reporting by the media, Comfort speaks of time being a major limitation in terms of how much he could document. He explains the difficulty in extracting information from the victims who still fear further victimization. He insists on the need to revisit the events of that fateful week of killings and believes we do not have a clear picture of the extent of the tragedies.

Þ On how far the solidarity fund has gone in reaching the victims of the massacre, Mandla says “not far enough” in terms of the scale of the damage. Support is needed from Swazis and the international community.

Þ Mandla appeals to public to commit to sustained contributions; monetary and otherwise, as once-off donations are not enough to address the needs of those affected on the ground.

Þ The solidarity fund is being steered by a group of Swazi volunteers, and mainly funded by other Swazis in the country and the diaspora, as well as partnerships with other international humanitarian groups such as COSPE.

Þ Comfort explains how his personal motivation is enough to keep doing the work without any monetary benefit. Mandla shares similar sentiments of personal conviction driving him and the eSwatini Solidarity Fund team

Þ Mandla: The documentary airs on Sunday the 3rd October 2021, 6 pm GMT+2 on the Swaziland News Facebook page. The eSwatini Solidarity Fund is coupling the premier with a feedback session and fundraising activity for the fund.

Þ Comfort and Mandla conclude by appealing to the public to recognize that victims of the massacre are also those that have been left behind after the death or incapacitation of a breadwinner.

In the height of a pandemic, while many were still mourning lives lost to COVID19, political unrest ensued in Swaziland. Armed forces brutalized and killed dozens of emaSwati who were calling for political reforms and even some who were bystanders. The tremendous impact of such traumatic events on the mental health of all affected has been a subject of discussion on social media. We speak to Swazi psychologist, Senele Mdluli on how to navigate mental health concerns as the struggle towards a new democratic dispensation continues. Senele is the co-director of Kushamiri Consulting; a woman-owned human capital and wellness consultancy. She holds a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology and has worked as a lecturer in the Psychology department at the Eswatini Medical Christian University. Through her private practice, she provides psychotherapeutic services to individuals, couples, and groups.

Highlights

Þ Senele speaks candidly on how she has been impacted personally by the recent events, particularly secondary traumatization as a result of patients’ grief and trauma from both the COVID19 pandemic as well as the political unrest.

Þ Senele cautions against being quick to label normal human responses to trauma as mental disorders and gives guidance on what symptoms are a cause for concern.

Þ Senele explains the ways in which we are broadly affected by the political unrest; directly or indirectly, as well as vicariously through constant exposure via social media. She expands on the factors that contribute to the differing responses people will have to the trauma.

Þ On remedies, Senele emphasizes normalizing certain human reactions and educating people on when to seek help. She calls for the creation of support systems in light of the limited access to mental health services in eSwatini.

Þ Asked how we can be effective support systems, Senele advises caregivers to be present, supportive, and listening, and encourages awareness of the state of their own mental health to prevent burnout.

Þ Senele further calls for advocacy towards strengthening professional mental health support for frontline workers and urges those around them to continue to be supportive.

Þ Senele offers her perspective on how the perpetrators of the violence get desensitized to the humanity of their victims to justify the killings.

Þ Finally, Senele cautions on the dire consequences of not addressing the traumas Swazis have recently been subjected to.

Connect with Senele on:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/senele.mdluli

Twitter

In light of the recent Swaziland massacre, many believe the monarchy has no place in future democratic Swaziland they envision. We speak to Virginia-based accountant and activist Mandla Monty Nkosi on his vision for how Swaziland can transition into the new democratic dispensation. Born and raised in Swaziland, Monty obtained his Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) Level 1 certificate from the Swaziland College of Technology. He moved to the United States of America to study at the University of the District of Columbia, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance. He has since been working as an accountant in the United States, lending his skills to multiple multi-billion-dollar entities.

Highlights:

Þ Monty takes a strong stance against the institution of a monarchy in its totality. He asserts that having somebody born into a position does not make sense in present-day society.

Þ On culture, Monty suggests Swazis distinguish ceremonial events from culture and then choose what they can do away with. For example, the way that we raise our children can be attributed to our culture, which we ought to be proud of. However, there are heinous activities associated with ceremonies. Umhlanga, Lusekwane, Incwala are some of the ceremonies he believes Swazis can toss.

Þ Asked on his take on an armed struggle, Monty stresses that he is opposed to it because of the precedence it sets. He cautions that we should learn from countries where peace has not necessarily followed the revolution.

Þ Monty proposes that a Government of National Unity (GONU) in waiting be formed immediately to inspire the confidence of the international community that there will not be a power vacuum when the current monarch is removed. He believes that the monarch’s unseating is imminent: “King Mswati is technically finished, he is in a coffin, we just need to put the nail on the coffin!”

Þ On his role in GONU, Monty feels his skills would be best leveraged on a consultancy basis, where he would work towards creating livable wage jobs and building sustainable domestic economies in Swaziland’s rural areas. Should Swazis call him home to serve, however, he is prepared to heed that call.

Þ Monty has a strong message for Independence Day on 6 September: “Independence Day is not worth celebrating. It should be boycotted year after year!”

He also opines why the US Marine has descended in Swaziland.

In this episode, I’m joined by Aaron Steven Thoming, a US citizen. We speak about democide, liberties, and freedoms - a citizen's perspective. Aaron has lived for years in the east (Taiwan, China, and South Korea). He is a Strategic Communications expert.

Highlights of the conversation:

• A comparative analysis of pre-democratic Taiwan and current eSwatini.
• How Taiwan transformed into a democratic state - a likely path for eSwatini.
• Democide (murder by government of its own citizens) in eSwatini, Taiwan (pre-democracy), China, Russia, etc. 
• Governments have murdered hundreds of millions of their citizens and those under their control.
• Governments are far more deadly to their own citizens when they hold a monopoly on the use of force.
• Democide surpasses war as the #1 cause of unnatural death in the 20th century.
• It is estimated that there have been 262 million victims of democide in the last century… Six times as many people have died from the actions of people working for governments than have died in battle.
• Dictators always resist calls for democracy.
• Freedoms and Liberties US, Taiwan, China, and South Korea - a citizen's experience on liberties and freedoms.
• The importance of the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution - a citizen’s perspective. The 2nd Amendment provides: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Join me and Robert McArthur as we discuss passion-driven goals and empathic listening from an architectural standpoint. Robert resides in Bountiful, Utah, USA. He has been practicing architecture since he was 15. His passion is home architectural design. Robert has a master’s degree in architecture and a degree in interior design and housing. He has done continued education in Japan, Switzerland, and the University of Harvard.

• “If you will advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life that you have imagined, you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours,”
• PASSION: sometimes we may be drawn to something, and to me, it is about evaluating those feelings and seeing how they relate to the consistency of how often they occur to you. So, if it’s something that occurs often, it is most likely something that could be developed into a passion. So it is those things that you are constantly drawn to on a constant basis.
• Maintain your passion, evaluate it, develop it, nurture it, and stick to it. If that nurturing causes it to grow and increase and you improve – it becomes better and better, that is my definition of passion.
• If you don’t have the language to describe your passion, you will, in due course, find language to describe/define it.
• EMPATHIC LISTENING: listening is an important part of anyone’s profession. In every profession, even if your client or customer doesn’t have the proper language to articulate what they want you to do for them, truly listening can help us understand and know what they want. This will happen when we listen with the heart. In this process, you keep an open mind.
• The projects I’m working on are diverse as my clients are diverse. Use your knowledge to help them exemplify what they stylistically need or want. You allow the client to lead you by the hand to the production of what they want, or what they have pictured in their minds. This empowers them to feel like they were part of the solution, and they were listened to.  The great opportunity to gain the confidence that they are getting what they want is achieved.
• Robert learned the value of empathic listening from his client Stephen R. Covey, writer of the bestseller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

David Clark joins in this episode to talk about the place of the family in society. He is an advocate for family and family values. David is a former military lawyer in the US Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps. He had a six-year stint in entrepreneurship – building an executive benefits consulting and insurance agency. Most of his career has been spent in public utility regulation. He is a commissioner of the Utah State Public Service Commission. David has been an attorney for about 43 years.

Some of the highlights of our conversation:

1. The family is so critical to the advancement of our world – of society.
2. It’s so stabilizing for children to be nurtured by their biological parents.
3. The connection of family economy to the national economy: the family is the bedrock, laboratory, and the initial place of training in industry, morality, frugality, and all of the moral compass that we acquire. 
4. The family becomes a unit of production in the economy and the unit of consumption.
5. Children need unconditional love and the understanding that they can make mistakes and still come back home and find acceptance and a warm embrace.
6. One of the things I would recommend for a family to stay together is to make a conscious record of what they are doing and accomplishing together. As young children grow, record what they are accomplishing. Record what you are interested in and what you care about.

What experts say on the Family:

• “Married-parent households work, earn, and save at significantly higher rates than other family households as well as pay a lion share of all    income taxes collected by the government.” The “discipline of chastity and monogamy… promotes a stronger economy, as promiscuous are more likely than the monogamous to adopt less economically productive living arrangements, whether cohabitation, stepfamilies, single parenting, or divorce.”
• “Civilization wouldn’t be possible without the role of the married women in motivating their husbands to be economically productive… First, she raises her future labour force; second, her at-home labour saves the family money; and third, by tending to details on the home front, she both allows and motivates her husband to be fully committed to his occupation… or profession.”

Allison Huish - a brain tumor survivor - is my guest in this episode. She has been an entrepreneur for over 10 years and lives in Salt Lake City, UT, US. Allison is a registered dietician with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in dietetics.

She grew up a healthy girl, but at age 13 she was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor which altered her life forever. In her own words: “Part of my tumor was inoperable and so my teen years were focused on getting healthy, becoming stronger, and ultimately beating the remaining part of my brain tumor. I had success and was able to graduate high school on time and went to college.” Now that tumor is behind her, she continues to take her health seriously. When she is not working, she loves being with her incredible family, running in the canyons, and listening to podcasts.

Highlights from our conversation:

· The food we eat makes us.

· I have friends who reversed serious diseases all from their diets - they have never done chemotherapy. Their cancer went away due to, in part, plant-based green-leafy vegetables.

· Most drugs and a lot of Western medicine are just focusing on symptom management.