The seven ‘T-shirt terrorists’ in Swaziland were granted
bail of E15,000 (US$1,500) when they appeared at the Swazi High Court on Monday
(5 May 2014).
The seven men had been in jail on remand since 23 April 2014
charged with terrorism offences because they allegedly wore T-shirts with the
name of the banned pro-democracy group PUDEMO on them and allegedly chanted
slogans.
PUDEMO (the People’s United Democratic Movement) is the best
known of several democracy groups banned as ‘terrorist organisations’ in
Swaziland, where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch.
At an earlier hearing, High Court Judge Mumcy Dlamini had
asked the prosecution to provide evidence of the chants the PUDEMO members
allegedly made but,
local media report, it failed to do so.
Each of the accused men is charged with four counts under the
Suppression of Terrorism Act.
The seven men are PUDEMO
Secretary General Mlungisi Makhanya; Public Relations Officer Brian Clive
Ntshangase; Bongani Gama; Bafana Mabandla Magongo; Siza Jabulani Tsabedze;
Ntobeko Gideon Maseko and Mangaliso Simanga Khumalo.
See also
DEMOCRACY
LEADERS JAILED ON REMAND
‘T-SHIRT TERRORISTS’ STILL IN JAIL
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