YOUTH LEADERS ON TERROR CHARGE

Swaziland Solidarity Network Statement

15 April 2011

SOURCE

Swazi Youth Leaders Charged Under the Suppression of Terrorism Act

The two youth activist leaders that were rearrested on Wednesday afternoon have since been charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA).

The two are:

1. Maxwell Dlamini: President of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS).

2. Musa Ngubeni: SWAYOCO Member.

The two were arrested in Zakhele, a township the outskirts of Manzini. The people who had initially been arrested included: Themba Mabuza, Jerome Dlamini and Sonkhe Dube. These three were released without charges.

The police claim they found all five of them in possession of detonators and cables for detonators but did not show them any of this material that they claim to have found. The police claimed that they were following a tip from an unknown person.

Further information provided by our sources is that the two who were charged were first tortured and then forced to write a report of what they had been doing between Friday and Wednesday, when they were released from being detained on Sunday.

These reports were dictated to them and they were forced not to include anything that the police did to them – including the torture.

The police read out a list of wanted people to Sonkhe Dube before releasing him. These are Manqoba and Thankukukhanya. Their surnames were not mentioned.

Issued by Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN]