DID POLICE LIE ON ACTIVIST'S DEATH?

The family of the democracy activist found dead in jail have called for an independent post mortem to discover how he died.

Police say Sipho Jele hanged himself with a blanket in a toilet at the Sidvwashini Remand Centre, but – considering the history of police violence against suspects – this explanation is not accepted by the wider community.

Jele, a democracy activist and member of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), had been arrested on Monday (1 May 2010) at a Workers’ Day celebration because he was wearing a PUDEMO T-shirt. By the next day he was dead.

Political activist Mphandlana Shongwe told the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper, Jele could not have committed suicide because he was once in prison.

He said Jele was one of the suspected bombers who were arrested in 2006 for allegedly bombing a number of buildings around the country.

He also said he doubted that he committed suicide because he was used to torture.

Jele’s aunt Juliet Jele said she suspected foul play surrounding the death of her nephew, because he never showed any signs that he was having problems, which might make him decide to end his life.

‘I need an explanation from the police on how my nephew died,’ she said.

She said the police were rushing her to have Jele’s body buried. She said, ‘The family is yet to meet to discuss what to do next on the matter, but the police should give me an explanation why my son died like this. As a family, we want our own doctor.’