It is hard to believe the police in Swaziland are serious
in their intent to get the kingdom’s Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi to leave
the house he has been holed up in for 11 days after a
warrant was issued for his arrest.
Ramodibedi who is in his luxury mansion in Mbabane
with his wife and two adult children was allowed to send one of his sons out
for food last Friday (24 April 2015) and it was reported that on Wednesday
(28 April 2015) his
maid delivered food to the family.
Two High Court Judges, Mpendulo Simelane and Jacobus
Annandale, and the High Court Registrar, Fikile Nhlabatsi, have
also been charged in connection with Ramodibedi’s case. They have appeared
in court and been bailed.
The Times
of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom ruled
by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported on
Wednesday, ‘The movement, with ease, of some members of the CJ’s family in and
out of his residence has left journalists wondering why the police were not
using such opportunities to enter the house and arrest the CJ.’
Police Information and Communications Officer
Assistant Superintendent Khulani Mamba told the newspaper they were still
waiting for negotiations between, Lesotho and Swaziland, to be concluded.
It is not known who is negotiating and about what.
Police officers have been camping outside the CJ’s
house since Friday 17 April 2015. They said they would arrest Ramodibedi as
soon as he came out of the house. There has been no attempt to enter the house
forcibly, despite the comings-and-goings of people from the house.
The lack of action by the police is unusual. They
have a deserved reputation for smashing their way into the homes of pro-democracy
activists, often without warrants.
There is speculation within Swaziland and on social
media about the reasoning for the delay in effecting the arrest warrant. On
Sunday (26 April 2015), the Times
Sunday, an independent newspaper in the kingdom, speculated that Ramodibedi
was waiting until King Mswati returned to Swaziland from a trip to the Bandung
Conference for Asian and African countries.
The newspaper
reported, ‘The chief justice is said to have stated that the only person he
trusts was His Majesty the King.’
The newspaper did not say so but it is assumed that Ramodibedi
thinks King Mswati will cancel the arrest warrant.
It is true that King Mswati personally appointed and
re-appointed Ramodibedi to the post of Chief Justice and that Ramodibedi has
been a loyal and vocal supporter of the King. But, it is not so clear that Ramodibedi
still enjoys the King’s favour. The King rules over the judiciary and the Swazi
Government which he hand-picks and it is inconceivable that the arrest warrant
would have been issued without his permission.
One speculation is that the Chief Justice will be
allowed to leave his house at the dead of night and escape into neighbouring
South Africa.
Many observers find it hard to imagine that Ramodibedi,
a personal appointee of the King, will be allowed to be tried in a court of law.
The main charges against him are of abuse of power, but international observers
will note that the (for now) alleged abuses were made on behalf of and for the
benefit of the King.
If the spotlight is allowed to shine on Ramodibedi,
it will shine also on the King.
See also
CJ
BID TO CANCEL OWN ARREST WARRANT
CJ
HAS HISTORY OF ABUSE OF POWER
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