Eswatini: Dear Pravin - Dictators Don't Do Dialogue

opinion

Don't be fooled for a second by Pravin Gordhan's talk about the governance conditions attached to South Africa's 'bailout for Swaziland'. He's not. He knows that the conditions are not worth the paper they're written on - if indeed they were signed with anything more than a friendly handshake between King Mswati and President Zuma.

Gordhan has a deserved reputation for being sombre and serious but I was still impressed by the way he kept a straight face while publicly listing the laughable set of 'conditions' - such as 'broadening the dialogue process to include all stakeholders and citizens', 'allowing the parties to the Swazi dialogue to determine appropriate reforms' and 'agreeing to ensure that the above processes take place in a conducive environment that is open and enjoys legitimacy among the people of Swaziland and the region'.

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