Police officers, some of them plain clothed,
infiltrated a memorial service in Swaziland for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
They were there to watch political activists who had gathered in her memory.
During the service at the Manzini
Cathedral on Wednesday (11 April 2018) speakers condemned police violence.
Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III as sub-Saharan
Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are not allowed to contest
elections and groups that advocate for multiparty democracy have been banned
under the Suppression
of Terrorism Act.
The Swazi
Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by the King, reported on Thursday (12
April 2018), ‘During the memorial service, plain clothed police officers were spotted
inside the Cathedral and while the speakers continued delivering their
speeches, more officers entered the arena but this time around it was officers
in full uniform. Political activist Mphandlana Shongwe, who was the Programme
Director, welcomed the officers to the arena, calling them tormentors.’
The newspaper also reported that Ntombi Nkosi, one of the organises of
the memorial service, spoke of how she was throttled by members of the Royal
Swaziland Police (RSP) who banged her head against a wall and broke both her
legs.
The newspaper reported, ‘Nkosi said this was during a strike action
dubbed “Waya Waya” by members of the Swaziland National Teachers Association
(SNAT) in 2012. She said three armed officers attacked her along the street
while she was near Green Valley.
‘She said her crime was wearing a Ngwane National Liberation Congress
(NNLC) T-shirt and headscarf.
‘She said the assault left her disabled for life as she cannot even get
into a bathtub without assistance.’
The Observer added, ‘Another
speaker, who took a swipe at police officers, was NNLC’s Moses Ndlela who said
police had a tendency of killing people even if they acknowledged that the
government they were serving was not working for the interest of the people.’
See also
POLICE STOP WORKERS FROM PRAYING
POLICE
BREAK UP DEMOCRACY PRAYERS
ANOTHER
PRAYER MEETING BANNED
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/another-prayer-meeting-banned_10.html
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