SWAZI COPS DETAIN FREEDOM ACTIVIST

The clampdown against political dissidents in Swaziland is continuing.

Heavily armed police raided the home of Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) Secretary General Thabile Zwane and took her in for eight hours of interrogation at Sigodvweni Police Station.

SWAYCO is one of four organisations branded as ‘terrorists’ by Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini.

The raid took place at about 4am yesterday (Wednesday 4 February 2008).

According to SWAYOCO’s President, Wandile Dludlu, a number of documents which were found in Zwane’s possession were confiscated.

He told the Times of Swaziland that they included their constitution, manifesto and other basic documents.

‘They told her that she had been taken in for questioning because she was found with documents supporting terrorism,’ said Dludlu.

Dludlu said he believed that what the police did was intimidation and violation of their rights as Swazi citizens.

He told the newspaper that the police said Zwane was supporting terrorism in that she was attending meetings that were planning sabotage.

He said that they made all this accusations without evidence and failed to identify the meetings of sabotage she attended.

Dludlu added that when Zwane was released she was told that she could be called in on Monday and be formally charged for supporting terrorism.

The Times reported police spokesperson Superintendent Vusi Masuku saying that Zwane was called in as part of the police’s duty to interview anyone they felt may be a threat to safety and security and there was nothing sinister with the questioning.

Zwane’s arrest is part of a clampdown of pro-democracy campaigners in Swaziland. Mario Masuku, president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) was arrested in November 2008 and remains in jail awaiting trial. Police changed the charges against him at least twice when they were unable to find evidence to support their original claim that he possessed documents on weapons making.

Last month Zodwa Mkhonta, a leading activist in PUDEMO was arrested under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Her son was subsequently accused of distributing PUDEMO leaflets.

There is also a long-running attempt to silence Mfomfo Nkhambule, a former Swaziland Government cabinet member and present chair of the Inhlava Forum political organisation, who has written articles in the Times of Swaziland deemed critical of King Mswati III.

He has been threatened with up to 20 years in jail if he continues to criticise the monarch.

SWAZILAND ACTIVIST ARREST UPDATE

More details are emerging of the arrest of Zodwa Mkhonta, a leading activist of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), who was taken in by police on Friday for questioning under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Mkhonta’s son, Stephen Noge, was detained on Thursday (22 January 2009) at the Mbabane Police Station, accused of distributing leaflets from the banned organisation PUDEMO to patients at the Mbabane Government Hospital.

Noge said he had gone to the hospital to visit a sick relative and on the way he had found the leaflets outside the town library. He did not read them and didn’t know they were from the PUDEMO.

When he arrived at the hospital he was surprised to find police officers waiting. They questioned him over the leaflets and took him to the police station, where he was held overnight. Police interrogated him in an attempt to discover the names of people connected with ‘terrorist’ organisations in Swaziland.

Police refused to allow Noge to contact relatives to let them know he had been arrested.

According to a report in the Times Sunday today (25 January 2009), on Friday morning police went to his homestead at Thembelihle where they searched for political documents. They found old ones from PUDEMO that were used by Noge’s father Simon who is now based in South Africa. Noge said his mother and relatives (eight in all) were taken to the police station for questioning.

He told the newspaper that he and his family were released because police had not completed their investigations.

Zodwa Mkhonta, a leading activist in PUDEMO and a former trade union leader, accused the police of harassing her family. She said they accused them of being terrorists. ‘It’s really a cause for concern to us that we are being harassed in our home country,’ she said.

See also

SWAZILAND POLICE ARREST ACTIVIST

SWAZILAND POLICE ARREST ACTIVIST

Zodwa Mkhonta , a leading activist of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), has been arrested in Swaziland under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

News emerging this morning (Friday 23 January 2009) is that one of Mkhonta’s sons, Stephen Noge, was arrested by the Mbabane Police at the Mbabane Government Hospital. They accused him of distributing PUDEMO material which is an offence in terms of the terrorism act as PUDEMO is a specially listed entity and therefore illegal.

Early this morning, the police raided Zodwa’s house where they found old PUDEMO material after conducting a search. All the people that were found in the house were subsequently arrested as a result. These include Zodwa’s eldest son Mfundo and five other family members.

According to their lawyer Thulani Maseko, no charges have been preferred yet against Zodwa and the six family members. Police though were still studying the Suppression of Terrorism Act with a view of finding charges that can hold. He further stated that the police are about to conclude charges for Stephen Noge whom they accuse of distributing PUDEMO pamphlets. He is due to appear in court sometime today.

Zodwa is one of the leading women activists in Swaziland who was involved in the founding stages of PUDEMO. She is part of senior management at the Swaziland Electricity Company where she is employed and also sits in the board of the Foundation for Socio- Economic Justice.

Police in Swaziland have clamped down on dissent in the kingdom following the illegal appointment of Barnabas Dlamini as Prime Minister. In November 2008, he declared PUDEMO and three other political entities to be ‘terrorist organizations’ which means that any member or supporter can face up to 25 years in jail. The day after Dlamini’s announcement Mario Masuku, president of PUDEMO was arrested and is presently held in jail awaiting trial.