Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, Deputy President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), has been released without charge after two days in police custody.
He was detained by state security police on Monday afternoon (6 September 2010) and was stopped from taking part in the protests for democracy that took place in Swaziland this week.
Stiffkitten’s blog reports today (7 September 2010)
At 8.45 am Swazi police raided the offices of the Swazi Federation of Trade Unions. This happened only five minutes before the planned march of the Global Day of Action was to commence. The reason for targeting the SFTU offices was that the march activity was being organised and coordinated from here, and that the police with in doing so are trying to shut down the legal march entirely.
Sources amongst the organisers of the march have said that the march will continue as planned, however, regardless of the immense presence of police officers and vehicles on every corner of the city. Sources from within the Swaziland Democracy Campaign in South Africa have told Africa Contact that the Swazi military have also been deployed in an attempt to intimidate the marchers.
The police have also arrested the Deputy President of PUDEMO, Sukhumbuzo Phakathi, and it has not been possible for the lawyers of PUDEMO to contact him yet.
Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, the deputy president of banned opposition group the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), was arrested on the eve of the Global Day of Action for Swaziland democracy.
The Swaziland Democracy Campaign reports he was arrested around 20h30 yesterday night (6 September 2010) at the Phongola border post as the Swazi police and army were deporting the South African delegation comprised of COSATU and Swaziland Democracy Campaign activists. They had been interrogated by Swazi police and intelligence.
In a statement SDC said, ‘No amount of arrests and brutal suppression of political and trade union activities will break the profound resistance building up in the country.’
SDC said it is known that the treatment of detained activists in Swaziland is a harsh experience none would dare wish to go through.
‘This is worsened by the fact that recently; Sikhumbuzo’s rural home at Hluti was invaded and raided by the Swazi army and police in search of weapons, which in all probability was to build a case for his long planned arrest.’
SDC reaffirms that it will be holding a protest action tomorrow (8 September 2010) at the Johannesburg offices of the Swazi Consulate, Braampak behind Civic theatre, Braamfontein at 12h30.
Pro-democracy groups from several southern African nations on Sunday (21 February 2010) gathered in South Africa to launch a campaign for democracy in Swaziland, which is considered one the few remaining absolute monarchies in the world, Voice of America reports.
Activists from trade and student unions, civic groups and Swazi opposition parties launched the Swaziland Democracy Campaign.
The deputy-president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, said the campaign was launched in South Africa because in Swaziland all political activity is banned.
‘That makes it a criminal offense to belong to a political party,’ said Phakathi. ‘It makes it recently a terrorist act to belong to my organization, PUDEMO, which the government decided was a terrorist organization.’
Organizers said the campaign is seeking the removal of restrictions on political parties, the news media and political gatherings. It is also calling for free, multi-party elections.
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