Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini has said it was all right for Swazi police to haul in dissident Mfomfo Nkhambule and make him stop writing newspaper articles that criticised King Mswati III.
Dlamini told a meeting of Swaziland media editors and senior journalists, ‘government has a duty to protect the Head of State if someone wants to pit him against the nation’.
You won’t see a clearer statement that freedom of expression is banned in Swaziland and if you disagree with the government, you will be dealt with.
He also said – rather sinisterly – that Swazi police could question anyone they wanted to, but he denied that the police were sent to question Nkhambule by some higher authority.
Nkhambule was threatened with up to 20 years in jail if he didn’t stop his criticisms. Mbongeni Mbingo, the editor of the Times Sunday went so far as to speculate that Nkhambule would have been tortured by police if he didn’t do as he was told.
Nkhambule, a former Swaziland Cabinet minister and present chair of the Inlhalva Forum political party, was also forced to appear before his local traditional leaders and told that he must quit the Balondolozi King’s regiment if he continued to be outspoken.
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