“Proof of Life” - those are the three words many Swazis were able to text to their loved ones for a few days following a nationwide internet shutdown amidst pro-democracy protests in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).

Background of protests

The protests, which escalated during the week of June 28, 2021, began as a call for #JusticeForThabani - a call to end police brutality in the country. The hashtag followed the suspicious death of a 25-year-old law student, Thabani Nkomonye, in May 2021 in the hands of the Swazi police.

Thabani’s death was not an isolated event as there have been other incidents of police brutality in Eswatini with no consequences for the perpetrators. Consequently, the youth took to the streets of the country for a peaceful protest, which was met by more violence from the police, shooting a bystander right in the eye. While holding a memorial for the late Thabani, the police shot teargas at attendees, resulting in some citizens - including Thabani’s mother and sister - being rushed to the emergency room in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amidst the protests to end police brutality, those who were invested in the pro-democracy movement saw it as an opportunity to call for a new democratic constitution, seeing as the current government has failed to address issues faced by Swazi citizens. In addition to the end of police brutality, some of these include the ability of political parties to register and participate in elections. Thus, #JusticeForThabani provoked a movement for democratic and political change. Other hashtags were birthed to go hand-in-hand with the protests, including:

#KungahlwaKwenile

#eSwatiniProtest

#eSwatiniIsBleeding

#KingMswatiMustFall

#SwaziLivesMatter

Eswatini’s citizens are calling for an end to the monarchy as King Mswati III, his 15 wives, and over 23 children continue to live a lavish lifestyle while more than half of the country lives below the poverty line. The Kingdom of Eswatini remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with increasing rates of poverty, food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence. Moreover, political parties are banned, the prime minister is chosen by the King, and there is a lack of freedom of speech.

Violence from the police has continued into the pro-democracy protests, with the government of Eswatini “launching full-frontal assault on human rights in response to ongoing pro-democracy protests. Dozens of people have been killed for daring to demand that their government respects human rights”, stated Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa. Amnesty International further details that protestors have also faced live ammunition and helicopter surveillance from the government. Additionally, hundreds of protestors have been arrested and face criminal charges.

As of July 2, 2021, the demonstrations against the monarchy’s rule over the country have the following demands (sourced from @swaziupdates):

An all-inclusive political dialogue
Unbanning of political parties
A transitional authority
A new democratic constitution
A multiparty democratic dispensation

Digital activism

While a significant number of Swazis have taken to the streets of Manzini and Mbabane, two of the country's biggest cities, most of the youth adopted digital activism, particularly hashtag activism, to protest against the monarchy. There are hundreds of posts online about the ongoing events in the country.

As retweets and reposts were happening, a Swazi artist posted on Facebook, “Shout out to the online comrades. The ‘on the couch’ freedom fighters. The ‘insight, but miss me with it’ comrades. The thumb ready ‘Tha! Tha! Share’ squad. No beef, just sending a shout out”.

In response to the post, a Twitter user stated, “I get calling for more engagement & presence but to say people are just tweeting is insulting, especially when dealing with a regime that’s so silencing that tweeting alone could get you in so much trouble. You can call for better engagement without undermining people’s efforts.”

For grassroots political mobilization, hashtag activism is a powerful tool. Digital activism is not in vain. As we are in an increasingly digital world, hashtag activism helps disseminate information, engage protestors, find solidarity, and reach larger audiences simultaneously. Moreover, if people cannot gather in public spaces in highly regulated areas - as it was the case with some areas of the country - then online activism is crucial for them. As opposed to traditional in-person protests, online activism can be a safer option for protestors. Furthermore, online activism is a viable option for disabled or sick activists.

“To suggest that ‘online comrades’ are not effective in political movements is uneducated and poorly informed. It downplays the powerful effect that digital movements have had on political and social issues. The internet is a strong tool to engage, organize, and influence the public in creative and unparalleled ways.”

Globally, digital activism has taken new technologies and used them to mobilize people in virtual spaces. Some examples of successful digital activism include the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East, the anti-austerity movement Occupy, Nigeria’s #EndSARS, #FeesMustFall in South Africa, and the ongoing campaigns associated with the #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo movements.

Some organizations, like Anonymous, hack computer networks of powerful people and organizations, such as the Islamic State. Another example is the Panama Paper leaks, which resulted in protests leading to the resignation of Iceland’s prime minister.

In such cases, the internet is used to gather and circulate confidential information with significant political consequences. To suggest that ‘online comrades’ are not effective in political movements is uneducated and poorly informed. It downplays the powerful effect that digital movements have had on political and social issues. The internet is a strong tool to engage, organize, and influence the public in creative and unparalleled ways.

Swazis have been using various forms of digital activism: chain texts, social media posts, emails, and online petitions. An even more effective method has been Twitter Spaces where Swazi youth gather virtually to check in on each other, reflect on the process, and discuss strategies in real-time. The impact of these actions is so strong that the Swazi government retaliated by banning petitions, imposing a curfew, and shutting down the internet in the country. The acting Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, claimed that the interruption to internet connectivity is a result of damage to telecommunication infrastructure by protestors. However, MTN Group, the leading internet service provider, reported that the disruptions were a response to demands made by stakeholders (of which the King is a part). With the internet shutdown, the government has the upper hand in what information is shared, how, when, and to whom.

VPNs

Internet activism also provides alternative ways to avoid censorship and telecommunication blackouts by an authoritarian government. Following the most recent shutdown, Swazis were strategic in installing virtual private networks (VPNs) on their phones. VPNs allowed protestors and citizens to continue sharing information without the country’s central servers. That way, activists continued to rally across the country.

“In a paper in the journal Science, Deen Freelon et al. from the University of North Carolina articulate that many critics of digital activism base their critiques on two beliefs. ‘One of the biggest misconceptions is that it doesn’t do anything,’ they argue. ‘The second is that it somehow displaces or replaces offline activism. We know that both of these are not true.’”

All the digital work put in by Swazis led to garnering support from Swazis in the diaspora in places like New York, Pretoria, Johannesburg, British Columbia, and Toronto. The protest also received recognition from the U.S. Embassy Eswatini, BBC Africa, Amnesty International, Global Citizen, the African Union, the United Nations, the University of Cape Town, and others. In addition, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a political party from neighbouring South Africa, undertook pro-democracy protests alongside Swazi protestors. Newzroom Afrika reported that hundreds of EFF supporters marched to Eswatini’s borders on July 9, 2021, to show comradeship with Swazi citizens.

“Digital activism does not take away from offline activism. Instead, it is a clever and remarkable add-on. We cannot undermine its importance. Otherwise, why would (authoritarian) governments intimidate and censor their citizens on the internet?”

However, it is worth noting that we do need to pair internet activism with in-person protests and demonstrations. In a paper in the journal Science, Deen Freelon et al. from the University of North Carolina articulate that many critics of digital activism base their critiques on two beliefs. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that it doesn't do anything,” they argue. “The second is that it somehow displaces or replaces offline activism. We know that both of these are not true.”

Digital activism does not take away from offline activism. Instead, it is a clever and remarkable add-on. We cannot undermine its importance. Otherwise, why would (authoritarian) governments intimidate and censor their citizens on the internet? So, go ahead and grab your phone and start retweeting those hashtags.

How can you get involved

Sign the petition ‘Demand the Government of Eswatini Cease All Forms of Violence Against its People’ here
Tweet to world leaders here
Follow @swaziupdates on Instagram
Follow the hashtags: #KungahlwaKwenile #JusticeForThabani #eSwatiniProtest #eSwatiniIsBleeding #KingMswatiMustFall #SwaziLivesMatter

Protest images by Mbulelo Ndlovu (@mbulelo_photography).