BAN ON JAIL VISITS AFTER TV PROBE

Prison visits to Maxwell Dlamini and Musa Ngubeni, two Swazi political prisoners, have been stopped after a South African television crew sneaked into jail and interviewed them.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) reports that yesterday (2 June 2011) was the last time the pair would be allowed visits. The previous night SABC3, a television station in South Africa, had broadcast a programme that included interviews with Dlamini and Ngubeni, who are on remand on explosives charges arising out of the protests held on 12 and 13 April.

SABC3 sneaked cameras into jail and interviewed them while a warden sat nearby unaware that anything was happening.

SSN reports the banning order was relayed to warders by the Head Warden at the Zakhele Remand Centre in Manzini. He told visitors that yesterday was the last day that they would be allowing visits for the two political prisoners.

SSN says the broadcast called Special Assignment, ‘went a long way towards exposing Lutfo Dlamini, the minister of foreign affairs, who had lied to the South African public by claiming that there were neither political prisoners in Swaziland nor political exiles living in other countries’.

See also

S AFRICA TV EXPOSES SWAZI PRISONS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/06/s-africa-tv-exposes-swazi-prisons.html