An EU leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent in Mbabane and the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), a pressure group fighting for democratic change in the tiny landlocked kingdom ruled by an absolute monarch that the aid has already been effected with immediate effect.
The delegate who is attending the current World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, said Swaziland would not receive aid from the EU unless the people of Swaziland as a whole benefit from it and not the buying of jets and military weapons. The leader insisted that the EU has withdrawn its assistance to Swaziland because of financial mismanagement. He said he would ask King Mswati why is he subjecting the people of Swaziland to such suffering when the country is endowed with so much wealth. He also emphasised that the EU was tired of Swazi leaders who use the suffering of ordinary people in order to pocket aid money.
Already the SSN and other democratic organisations have intensified action at WSSD against King Mswati and his government led by a "dictator", Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini. The SSN Secretary General, Bongani Masuku said in a statement released Wednesday: "We continue with our actions which include: marches in Sandton and NASREC, stalls highlighting the real situation of Swaziland, particularly police brutality against peaceful protesters. We have photographic and film evidence of police terror, military budget as against health and education budget, royal monopoly of our wealth, etc."
He added: "We participated in the Global People's Forum march where matters of global justice were highlighted, not least the matter of Swaziland. We also held several marches on our own, with the assistance of comrades from fellow comrades belonging to the progressive movement of South Africa and beyond.
"We want to make sure that the Swazi despot who runs the country like a private farm, must be really isolated and feel the pressure of being made to pay for persecuting the ordinary people of Swaziland. We are calling on international governments, business, organs of civil society and all democracy-loving people to isolate the ruthless regime of king Mswati," Masuku said.
On the issue of the torture and arrest of political activists fighting against the traditional system of government called Tinkhundla, Masuku said: "The tinkhundla regime thought they were playing the game well when they released PUDEMO President Mario Masuku just before the WSSD in order to relieve themselves off the pressure and avoid the embarrassment they constantly face."
The PUDEMO leader was acquitted on two charges of inciting a revolution against King Mswati almost a fortnight ago by the High Court of Swaziland. Bongani Masuku said in his statement that the release of Mario will not deter the democratic forces in Swaziland from fighting for a meaningful Democratic change in Swaziland.
He said the SSN demands:

- A democratically elected constituent assembly proceeded by an all-involving national convention of all stakeholders to define the future of Swaziland. This requires the dismantling of the current Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) royal circus, which seeks to fool the world about Swaziland's failure to move forward towards a democratic society.

- Removal of all oppressive laws and the immediate cessation of all political hostilities for the reation of an environment conducive to democratic change and free participation.

- An end to the persecution of leaders of PUDEMO, SFTU, SWAYOCO and all organisations that are genuine representatives of the oppressed people of Swaziland, particularly organised under the auspices of SDA (Swaziland Democratic Alliance).

- An end to the massive transfer of Swazi money to international financial institutions by individuals for their self-enrichment, as well as the massive royal extravagance and abuse of Swazi wealth.

- Mswati must withdraw and end the transaction of the jet and stop the funny petty politicking on this matter, whose cost is huge to the extent of costing people starvation and their lives.

- Land must be transferred to the real owners, who are the ordinary people of Swaziland and not the royal minority, and their friends.

- Tibiyo takaNgwane must be controlled and owned by the people and not the greedy royal parasites.

Masuku said: "In this regard, we call upon the world to support the cause of the Swazi people and not be diverted by the tinkhundla regime's political stunts to confuse the people by using its agents, posing themselves as people's representatives to call for an executive monarchy, which downplays all the genuine efforts of the oppressed masses of Swaziland. The compromise could only be a monarchy without executive powers, but taking all these powers to the people themselves. We further call upon the UN to expel Mswati and his government in such processes, as they are a setback to the effort for the creation of a just and prosperous world, underpinned by sustainable development," Masuku said.