Democracy leaders in Swaziland were arrested and charged
with sedition on Thursday (1 May 2014) during May Day commemorations in the
kingdom.
Mario Masuku, President of the People’s United Democratic
Movement (PUDEMO), the best-known of the opposition groups in Swaziland and
Maxwell Dlamini, General-Secretary of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO),
were among pro-democracy campaigners charged.
They were arrested as part of a renewed clampdown against
dissent in the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch.
Seven democracy campaigners are in jail on remand since last
month accused of terrorist activities after they were arrested
for wearing PUDEMO T-shirts and berets. PUDEMO has been banned in Swaziland
as a ‘terrorist’ organisation since 2008, under the controversial Suppression
of Terrorism Act.
Magazine editor Bheki Makhubu and human rights lawyer Thulani
Maseko are presently
on trial in Swaziland charged with contempt after writing articles for the Nation, a small circulation magazine, that
criticised the Swazi judiciary.
Last month, illegally
abducted prodemocracy leaders to prevent them addressing a meeting calling
for freedom in Swaziland.
Thousands of workers turned out to mark May Day across
Swaziland. Police were out in force in Manzini, the main commercial city in
Swaziland, where a mass rally took place at the Salesian Sports Ground.
See also
‘T-SHIRT TERRORISTS’ STILL IN JAIL
POLICE ABDUCT DEMOCRACY LEADERS
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