Mario Masuku, President
of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), has defied a condition
of his bail and addressed a public gathering.
Masuku and Maxwell
Dlamini, Secretary-General of the PUDEMO youth wing, SWAYOCO, were released on bail
on 14 July 2015 after serving 14 months on remand on sedition charges.
One of the conditions of
their bail was that they did not address public gatherings. They had been arrested
in May 2014 for allegedly making public statements in support of PUDEMO.
Masuku spoke at a special
service at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church in his home area,
Makhosini.
He gave an account of life
in prison.
The Swazi Observer,
a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, who rules Swaziland as
sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported, ‘When he
took to the pulpit, the congregants were filled with joy as both young and old
welcomed him with applause.’
The Times of Swaziland,
the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom reported, Masuku ‘told the
congregants that he would not compromise his values and ideologies in fear of
being punished’.
PUDEMO is one of a number
of prodemocracy organisations in Swaziland banned under the Suppression of
Terrorism Act. In Swaziland political parties are banned from taking part in elections
and the King chooses the government and top judges.
See
also
RELEASE
OF LEADERS ‘CHANGES NOTHING’
DEMOCRACY
LEADERS FREED ON BAIL
http://swazimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/democracy-leaders-freed-on-bail.html
RELEASED INTO THE BIG SWAZI PRISON
RELEASED INTO THE BIG SWAZI PRISON
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