POLICE ACCUSE MPS OF ‘INSURRECTION’

Swaziland Solidarity Network

Statement

6 July 2011

SOURCE

SWAZI MPS SCREAM FOUL AT MSWATI’S BLATANT DICTATORSHIP


Political tensions in Swaziland have escalated to the extent that even parliamentarians are no longer allowed to hold meetings outside parliament.

The Times of Swaziland reports that a meeting held by parliamentarians in Manzini over the weekend has raised so much alarm in the corridors of power that the people involved are now being suspected of planning to overthrow the state.

This has led to the police being ordered to harass them and keep them under surveillance. The meeting was held by a group of parliamentarians who wanted to lobby each other on a way forward seeing that the Prime Minister, Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, is seemingly indifferent to many challenges facing the country. These problems range from the country’s fiscal crisis to the sale of land earmarked for the construction of new embassy infrastructure.

This comes hardly a week after the king and his henchman in the judiciary, the Chief Justice, levelled similar accusations against a judge, Justice Thomas Masuku. Masuku has been accused of associating with elements who seek to overthrow the state. As these “elements” were not named, they could be the very parliamentarians now under surveillance.

It seems that anyone who acts outside the dictates of the triumvirate of Mswati, the Prime minister and the Chief Justice is now considered a threat to the state.

While the Swaziland Solidarity Network finds it hypocritical of these members of parliament to expect anything from a government that they themselves go around parading as being the best example of democracy in the world, all citizens of the country they should be free to discuss politics whenever they want to.

Issued By the Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN]