Police in Swaziland are out in force to stop students and
prodemocracy activists demonstrating for education for all in the kingdom.
Students fought with police in Mbabane, the Swazi
capital, this lunchtime (4 September 2012) as they tried to arrest Swaziland National Union of Students leader, Maxwell
Dlamini,
Reports from the scene at the Mbabane bus rank say that
police and security forces vastly outnumber the students. State security forces
fired teargas, beat up students and activists and drove them away
from the bus rank towards the University of Swaziland, Mbabane Campus, the
People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) reported.
Students had wanted to demonstrate as part of the second
day of the Global Week of Action for Swaziland, to draw attention to the lack
of democracy in the kingdom ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last
absolute monarch.
Police and security forces gathered in Coronation Park,
Mbabane, from early this morning to prevent any rally taking place.
Students and activists from all over Swaziland tried to
reach Mbabane, but road blocks were set up by police. PUDEMO reported that 13
buses ferrying students from the William Pitcher College in Manzini to Mbabane were
detained at a roadblock mounted at Malagwane traffic circle by the police.
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