MORE RAIDS ON SWAZI DEMOCRATS

Swaziland Police are engaged on a series of raids against the homes of Swazi democrats. In one of them a leader of the banned PUDEMO was arrested.

A Swazi Police spokesperson said raids were ongoing, following incidents on Saturday (9 May 2009) in which two members of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) had their houses raided by police.

Police are on a mission to confiscate property relating to the activities of PUDEMO and the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO).

According to the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, the separate houses of the Samson and Sabelo Ndlangamandla in Malkerns were raided by the police in the early hours of Saturday.

It was gathered that the police were looking for any items talking about PUDEMO or SWAYOCO.

The police took items relating to PUDEMO, including t-shirts with a slogan in support of Mario Masuku, the jailed PUDEMP president.

In a separate raid PUDEMO Secretary General Siphasha Dlamini was yesterday taken in for questioning at the police headquarters.

According to the Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, Police Assistant Public Relations Officer Inspector Stephen Dlamini said Siphasha was questioned on PUDEMO related matters.

‘I cannot state specifically what was asked, we are just questioning everyone to ensure that they are not linked to any criminal offences.’

The spokesperson said the police were not only targeting SWAYOCO and PUDEMO but ‘would question everyone whom they suspect could be involved in some criminal activity.’

He added, ‘Over the weekend, we had to question SWAYOCO’s Wandile Dlamini, so it is not like we are targeting one person.’

He said there were still other ongoing investigations and more people would be brought in for questioning.

I reported yesterday that the offices of a non-government organisation, the Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice (FSEJ), was raided by police who took away DVD of a meeting organised by PUDEMO, a programme for the May Day celebration at Salesian Sports Grounds and three of the Mario Masuku t-shirts.