ANOTHER SWAZI DAY, ANOTHER VICTIM

The following is a media release from the Swaziland Solidarity Network

SOURCE

Another Day Another Victim

18 June, 2010

Yet another member of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) member has fallen victim to the Swazi government’s scheme to smear the good name of the movement by arresting its members in connection with the recent spate of petrol bombings. Bheki Dlamini, a young man from Mpofu, in the Northern side of the country, was arrested at his flat at Mhlaleni, a township just outside Manzini.

This makes him the second activist within a week that has be arrested and charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act after the arrest of Zonke Dlamini last week Friday. He is alleged to have been involved in the bombing of the residences of the police PRO and the member of parliament of Mtsambama, David ‘Lion’ Shongwe.

The state plans to arrest as many political activists as possible and keep them behind bars indefinitely, knowing well that it does not have any evidence linking them to the crimes for which they have been arrested. The 16 activists, including the recently murdered Sipho Jele, who were arrested in 2005 after a spate of bombings, are still awaiting trial even today. In their case at least they were allowed bail.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network is extremely disappointed with the rate at which the political climate in Swaziland is deteriorating and calls upon all pro-democratic movements and parties in that country to intensify the struggle for democracy in order to save these youth from lengthy jail sentences.

‘BOMBING’: SWAZI YOUTH CHARGED

Another member of the banned Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) has been arrested and charged in connection with the recent spate of petrol bottle attacks.

Bheki Dlamini, aged 28, was arrested on Wednesday (16 June 2010) and charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act in connection with several counts relating to petrol ‘bombings’ of the homes of Mtsambama Member of Parliament Bheki Mkhonta and police Public Relations Officer Senior Superintendent Vusi Masuku. He is also linked in the ‘bombing’ of a police camp at Buhleni and Mayiwane Member of Parliament David ‘Lion’ Shongwe’s house.

According to the Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom, Dlamini is currently being kept at an unidentified police station and will today (18 june 2010) appear at the High Court.

Dlamini’s arrest comes days after another member of SWAYOCO, Zonke Thokozani Tradewell Dlamini, was arrested and charged in connection with the ‘bombings’ of houses belonging to the police PRO and Mtsambama MP. He has already made an appearance at the High Court where terrorism related charges were also preferred against him.

RAID ON SWAZI DEMOCRACY LEADER

Mario Masuku, President of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), had his Swaziland home raided by armed police this morning (14 June 2010).

The raid is the latest in a series of harassments by Swazi police against pro-democracy activists. Yesterday, Zonke Thokozani Tradewell Dlamini, of the PUDEMO youth league SWAYOCO appeared in the Swazi High Court on charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. He is alleged to have been involved in throwing bottles of petrol at government structures..

There have also been reports of frequent detentions and low level harassment on the part of the police.

PUDEMO reports that Masuku was today woken up by ‘armed to the teeth police officers who turned everything up and down at his homestead in Mbabane. He was subjected to the most harrowing experience of his life; intimidation, harassment and being ridiculed in front of his family.’

Masuku is no stranger to harassment by the state. In September 2009, he was acquitted after he was held in prison on remand for 10 months after he was arrested under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. He was immediately acquitted when his case came to court.

PUDEMO said in a statement, ‘Our President is a known enemy of the state having been arrested and charged with everything from high treason to sedition and now terrorism.’

In all these cases Masuku was acquitted.

PUDEMO said, ‘We are unequivocal in condemning violence and have openly challenged the regime to the round table for negotiations. For this we have been labelled terrorists, beaten, maimed, dehumanised, forced into exile and sanctioned economically in our own country.

‘Our genuine commitment to peaceful struggle and nonviolence has been met by brutal force and harassment.’

The latest move comes just as Barnabas Dlamini, the illegally-appointed Prime Minister of Swaziland, has called for the law to be changed to deny bail to people accused of crime.