Three
members of the Swaziland Communist Party who are accused of setting houses
alight as a protest against a chief have been granted bail by the High Court after
spending 115 days in jail on remand.
Sithembiso
Sibandze, Qiniso Mkhatshwa and Siyabonga Gina were accused of burning four huts
at Chief Mshikashika II’s Royal Kraal at KaNgcamphalala. They have been charged
under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.
They have
been given bail of E15,000 each and banned from crossing the Mzimnene River to
the Manzini city centre or going to Siphofaneni.
Their
bail application was opposed by the office of the Swazi Director of Public Prosecutions
on the grounds that they would interfere with potential crown witnesses, some
of whom were their relatives.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect
owned by King Mswati III, who is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch,
reported on Wednesday (29 June 2016) that the prosecution argued two of the men
had already admitted guilt, ‘since they confirmed to have torched the houses,
causing over E100,000 [US$6,676] worth of damage’.
According
to the newspaper, the accused, ‘said they wanted the chief to spring into
action and convene a meeting for the residents. They claimed that the chief was
abusive towards the residents and stifled their development because he demanded
too much money from the sugar cane schemes, where he demanded to be paid E5,000
yearly from each of the 65 associations.’
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