Swaziland’s banned opposition, the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), is demanding an independent inquiry into what they say is the ‘murder’ of Sipho Jele after he was arrested and imprisoned by security agents, the Voice of America reports.
Mario Masuku, president of PUDEMO, said the government of King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, will stop at nothing, including murder, to suppress the freedom of expression and association.
This comes after the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (COSATU) called for a global mobilization to isolate the Swazi government over what the group described as a cold-blooded murder of a PUDEMO activist.
Jele, a supporter PUDEMO, was detained by security agents during the recent May Day celebrations in the capital, Mbabane. He died a few days after his arrest and subsequent detention. Swazi local media quoted government officials as saying Jele committed suicide in prison.
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