Musa Dube, deputy general secretary of the Communist Party
of Swaziland (CPS), has been arrested and charged with sedition for campaigning
for a boycott of the elections to be held this week in the kingdom.
In a statement, the CPS said, ‘Our comrade was conducting
campaign work to promote the message that the only elections that should be
held in Swaziland are free and fair ones, where all political parties are able to take part on whatever platform they
want.’
Dube reportedly was taken to the Manzini Police Station and
is expected to appear in court later this week.
The CPS said Dube and another activist had been shadowed by
police for days before the arrest. The other activist managed to escape arrest.
Dube allegedly had a PUDEMO (People’s United Democratic
Movement) t-shirt in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Police and security forces in Swaziland, where King Mswati III
rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, have clamped down on all
opposition to the election due on 20 September 2013.
Last week the Swaziland Police National Commissioner Issac Magagula
claimed that anarchists were intent on undermining the election.
Political parties are banned from taking part in the
election and the CPS and PUDEMO are banned as ‘terrorist’ organisations in
Swaziland.
See also
POLICE CALL NAIDOO PANEL ‘ANARCHISTS’
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