Swaziland police beat up two members of the public and confiscated 400 T-shirts they were carrying
This happened at the Ngwenya border post between Swaziland and South Africa.
According to the Swaziland Solidarity Network, two as yet unnamed relatives of Amos Mbedzi, the man standing trial on charges relating to the alleged bombing of the Lozitha bridge in 2008, were attacked as they tried to enter the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. They had 400 T-shirts with the face of Mbedzi on the front.
The SSN says the T-shirts did not have any emblem or words linking them to any of the organisations listed as proscribed by the Swazi government.
In Swaziland lately police have arrested people wearing T-shirts supporting the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), a banned organization in Swaziland. Democracy activist Sipho Jele, who died while in jail, had been arrested for wearing a PUDEMO shirt.
The SSN reports that Mbedzi’s relatives have been advised to bring assault and theft charges against the Swazi police.
Meanwhile, the trial of Mbedzi, which was due to start on Monday (31 May 2010), has been postponed until 14 June 2010 so that his legal team can prepare.
As a result of the trial’s delay, the SSN nine-day picket at the Swazi consulate has been shifted to start on 14 June.
SSN’s South African Chapter says the picket will also show support to Amos Mbedzi whose trial begins on 31 May at the Swaziland High Court.
SSN says, ‘Amos Mbedzi is a South African political activist who was a member of both the ANC and its armed wing, Umkhonto Wesizwe [MK]. He is also a cultural activist who writes plays. He was incarcerated in 2008 by the Swazi royalist regime for allegedly taking part in a attempt to blow up a bridge in Lozitha, an incident which claimed the lives of his alleged accomplices, Jack Govender and Musa “MJ” Dlamini.
‘The Swaziland Solidarity Network insists that he is a political prisoner who should be released unconditionally.’
The following is a statement from the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) on the funeral of democracy activist Sipho Jele.It highlights a protest picket that will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa this Friday (21 May 2010).
Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] Activities in Solidarity with the People of Swaziland.
18th May, 2010.
The unfortunate incident which occurred over the weekend, at the late Sipho Jele's funeral, when the Royal Swaziland Police Force decided to decimate everything that bore a likeness to the PUDEMO colours and logos is extremely difficult to understand from a strictly human point of view. Unfortunately, even animals are not known to exhibit such behaviour. Animals in the jungle have been observed to exhibit a semblance of respect for their dead peers save for those that they regard as food.
In seeking to understand police behaviour in the wee hours of last Sunday Morning, one has to consider the circumstances under which they were operating. All mourners who had attended the funeral did so purely out of devotion to their lost comrades. Whatever the weather conditions in that far out area of Ncabaneni, their hearts and minds were able to keep them warm enough to brave the chilly weather. Added to that, the very kind and reasonable Jele family was available to ensure that their needs were taken care of. On the other hand, the police, uninvited and in attendance only because their superiors had commanded them to leave their warm work stations in order to attend the funeral of a man whose death their conscience is still trying very hard to deal with, were obviously not coping with the circumstances. It is also very possible that they had to intoxicate themselves with the dagga that they steal when they raid dagga fields in the Northern parts of the country. As to why police, as thinking humans, allow themselves to be abused in this manner is something which boggles the mind.
SSN will join other organisations on a picket on the 21st May, 2010 more details below
Venue: Swazi consulate, Forum V, 33 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein Johannesburg. Behind the Johannesburg Civic Theatre
Date: 21st May, 2010
Time: 12h00 (lunch time Picket)
Meanwhile, The Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] will protest for a 9 days long as a form of PICKET protest against Amos Mbedze and the killing of our comrade Sipho Jele details below.
Date: 31st May -09th June 2010
Time: 13H00 -14H00
Venue: Swazi consulate, Forum V, 33 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein Johannesburg. Behind the Johannesburg Civic Theatre
Amos Mbedzi is a South African born revolutionary who was trained by the ANC both politically and militarily and was an active member of Mkhonto we Sizwe, he is a cultural activist and a writer of plays. He is currently incarcerated by the Swazi regime for allegedly being at the nearby scene of a bomb explosion next to Lozitha palace that killed two activists Musa Dlamini and Jack Govender also a South African since September 2008. The Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] has been fighting for his unconditional release and for democracy in Swaziland. His trial is to start on the 31st May, 2010 it is expected it will last for 9 days in the High Court of Swaziland in Mbabane.
Issued By the Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] South Africa Chapter
The Swaziland Solidarity network [SSN] takes the opportunity to wish all South Africans, the ANC-led alliance and its mass formations, Cosatu [Congress of South African Trade Unions] and the SACP [South African Communist Party] a wonderful and New Year season celebrations.
We also thank thousands of ordinary SSN members and volunteers that defied a subdued internationalism and demonstrated selfless solidarity by mounting massive political campaigns in 2009, demanding a democratic Swaziland, the scrapping of repressive legislation and release of many friends and comrades who’ve been in and out of jail, including President Mario Masuku,Thulani Maseko,Wandile Dludlu and Amos Mbedzi.
In particular we convey our warmest and revolutionary wishes for 2010 to the oppressed people of Swaziland, the democratic forces led by Pudemo [People’s United Democratic Movement] including women and children in particular.
We remain steadfast and highly inspired by their unrelenting political struggle - in a sea of poverty, without food, assistance, resources - to confront the dictatorship of King Mswati and soldier on to construct their society along genuinely democratic foundations. We are determined to reproduce our efforts in the New Year, to help them defeat the Royal Monarch led by King Mswati and his corrupt cronies.
We call upon all higher education institutions in South Africa to provide opportunities to young Swazis, whose educational future is grim, following their rising against a feudal family system of political rule that marginalises all activists and their children from educational opportunities.
We call on the international community to cease its support of Mswati, especially those involved in the hypocritical provision of arms of war, or any covert and militarised training of whatever sorts. We deem this duality of action an action against peace and part of outmoded doctrines of pre-emption, unilateralism and constitutes very serious violation of international law.
It is our view that the appropriate policy for all external regimes, is to allow the people of Swaziland to exercise their right of rejection to an obsolete political system. The freedom of the Swazi people should not be traded to distant doctrines of new world order, which are characterised by wars and rivalries for the control and domination of the world’s regions and poses very limited possibilities for Swaziland democratic advance.
But in our evaluation, the main principal political challenge lies with South Africa and nations in the regions, to break the cycle of silence on the excesses of Mswati induced political crisis.
King Mswati has defied all norms of democracy including many of agreed protocols on elections, on free political activity, on the rights of trade unions and the media. He came down guns blazing on democratic protest in the past few years.
He’s demonstrated inclination and readiness to partner dictators like [Robert] Mugabein Zimbabwe and others, in destructive arms exchange projects. We know that he’s a regional warmonger who promoted the invasion of sovereign nations like Madagascar whilst in his position as the Chair of the security organ of SADC [Southern Africa Development Community].
We know his stand against all rights of young women to free choice, under the guise of culture. He’s an auxiliary of the countries promoting unfair trade and permanent imbalances through the EPA’s, against regional integration.
And he benefits his family from [Southern Africa] Customs Union (SACU) proceeds, neglecting the more than 80 percent unemployed, over 80,000 of HIV / AIDS orphans, 70 percent of the population that receives handouts, and the poverty stricken people of Swaziland. Mswati is a destructive warmonger who has no vision for the country other than his own and family.
Finally the Swaziland Solidarity Network congratulates the SACP on a successful Special National Congress outcome which was attended by SSN including Pudemo leadership.
SSN delegates were struck by a characteristically deep concern by SACP members during the discussions, about the plight of the region, how social and economic policies affected continental citizenship, about scores of victims of xenophobia, the plight of the migrants and our collective political future.
At the heart of our assessment of this congress at the beginning of 2010, is the basic question raised at this congress, the need for political mobilisation, on the policies of our governments regarding the state of the entire peoples of the SADC, Africa including Swaziland.
We will continue to strengthen our relationship with the alliance and as part of our overall strategy, locate the ANC-led alliance at the center of our struggle for solidarity around the following two main principles:
- completing aborted National Democratic Revolutions and
- ensuring the needs and interests of the poorest of the poor sections of our people are dominant, in the state, in society and internationally
We congratulate the leadership and members of SSN and all supporters of democracy in Swaziland and wish them a happy new year.
Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN] South Africa Chapter.
The following is a media statement released by the Swaziland Solidarity Network yesterday
(29 October 2009).
Justice delayed is justice denied
The Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN]condemns in strongest possible term the delaying tactics, to commence the trial of comrade Amos Mbedzi more than one year later. [Amos Mbedzi, was arrested in September 2008 on suspicion of planting a bomb at the Lozitha Highway Bridge.]
According to the Times of Swaziland 27th October 2009edition the trial could not commence because "the Chief Justice is indisposed". We find this as a delaying tactic by the Tinkhundla government as they smell defeat and are aware of the invalidity of their charges against comrade Amos. SSN demands his immediate release from prison after a long period of detention.
Meanwhile, as part of our every Friday protest the Swaziland Solidarity network [SSN] will be picketing outside the Swaziland Consulate tomorrow Friday 30th October, 2009 in Braamfontein Center in demand of the immediate release of all political prisoners, the unbanning of political parties, the return of all exiles and the democratisation of Swaziland.
