APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has described last week’s Eswatini parliamentary elections as “a mockery of democracy,” saying Sunday that the people of that country should be allowed to form their own political parties to contest in the polls.
Malema said this during a TV interview on the sidelines of an event to celebrate his party’s victory in the ward by-elections in the town of Wolmaransstad in the North West province.
The eSwatini government banned political parties from participating in the elections, with only individual candidates allowed to run for seats in the House of the Assembly.
“The people must have their own political parties, and the parties must be allowed to contest for political power,” the EFF leader said.
He added: “It’s a mockery of democracy. It’s a joke. There are no elections in Eswatini and what King Mswati IIII is doing, is undermining the will of the people.”
According to Malema, the polls in eSwatini were a waste of time and resources — and the exercise should not be called elections.
“We want a democratic Swaziland. And we will continue to support the people of Swaziland,” he said.
The EFF had previously called on the kingdom and its ruler, King Mswati III, to implement democratic reforms of its political system in a country considered to be the last absolute monarchy in Africa.
NM/jn/APA