ANGER AS S. AFRICA COLLUDES WITH COPS

The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) has condemned the action by officials at the South African High Commission in Mbabane, Swaziland, for handing the names of eight CPS activists visiting the offices earlier this week to the Swazi security police.

The CPS activists had arranged with the High Commission to deliver a memorandum urging the mission to condemn the recent spate of arrestsof pro-democracy activists in Swaziland. 

But, the names of the activists submitted to the HC in advance had been passed to the Swazi police, who were waiting when the delegation arrived at the mission. 

‘The police were plain-clothed, and they tried to intervene when our members approached the mission,’ said CPS general secretary Kenneth Kunene.

He said that the police wanted to identify the delegation members against a list of names they had been given by someone at the High Commission.

In a statement, Kunene said,‘This was no ordinary security protocol. It was an effort to intimidate our members and block their visit to the South African mission. They pounced on the delegation caused a massive commotion when our comrades refused to identify themselves to the officers.’

Kunene said that the matter was only resolved when the South African High Commissioner personally intervened and ushered the delegation into his office.

Kunene added that there was clearly collusion between someone at the High Commission and the Swazi police concerning the delegation. 

‘We hope that in the current situation in Swaziland diplomatic missions who receive visits from the pro-democracy movement do not collude in this way with the Swazi police. Our country is ruled by a brutal dictatorship, and missions from democratic countries should try to protect pro-democracy activists,’ he said.