TV DOCO ON SWAZI POLITICAL CRISIS

South African television is airing a documentary this week on the lack of democracy in Swaziland.

Special Assignment on SABC 3 looks at the ‘real impact of Swaziland’s political crisis on its citizens’.

Publicity for the documentary that airs on Wednesday (1 June 2011) at 21.30 says, ‘The country continues to deny that it does not have any political prisoners, while its youth languish in jail – charged with anti terrorism laws. While activists believe that the imprisonment and in most cases alleged torture happens because the people are outspoken against King Mswati the third’s regime and reject the current political situation, those in favour of the state say those in jail are arrested because they are criminals.But is Swaziland at war with its youth? What kind of democracy imprisons its youth for wearing a so-called banned t-shirt. What kind of a democracy has its young people running away form the country into exile?

‘Meet the families of those in jail and see exclusive footage from inside the jails, young people in prison, charged with terrorism.’