Police fired gunshots in
the air and grenades and rubber bullets during Swaziland’s election as voters protested
against completed ballot papers being taken away from a polling centre.
It happened late on Friday (21
September 2018) after voting had ended in the kingdom’s national election.
It was the third time in a
week that police violently attacked people making legitimate protests in the
kingdom recently renamed Eswatini by absolute
monarch King Mswati III.
The latest violence was at Sigwe
inkhundla. The Observer
on Saturday newspaper
reported police fired ‘several gunshots in the air’ to disperse a
crowd.
It added police denied firing
gunshots but admitted to firing rubber bullets and what spokesperson Superintendent
Phindile Vilakati reportedly called ‘hand grenades’.
The Observer on Saturday reported, ‘Last night’s skirmish reportedly
led to several people injured, with one supposedly had a rubber bullet “riddling”
his chin and had to be rushed to hospital in a critical state as he was
bleeding profusely.’
It added the Operation Support Service Unit
(OSSU) was called. The scene then became ‘a battleground’.
The newspaper said the
trouble started after voting finished at the Lulakeni chiefdom and a group did
not want the ballot boxes taken from the hall to Lulakeni High School for
counting. They forced gates to be locked.
The newspaper reported
spokesperson Superintendent Phindile Vilakati saying, ‘I have been informed
about the violence which led to the police using hand grenades.’ The newspaper
did not comment on this, but it is assumed she meant stun grenades.
There was tension across
Swaziland in the days leading to the election as workers headed by the Trade
Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) took to the streets in support of a pay
claim. Police were videoed viciously
attacking unarmed fleeing demonstrators in Manzini.
The city was also described as a ‘warzone’ when
police turned stun grenades,
teargas, teasers and rubber bullets on protestors.
There was tension across
Swaziland during election day. In the kingdom political
parties are banned from taking part in the election. People are only
allowed to elect 59 members of the House of Assembly; another 10 are appointed
by the King. None of the 30 members of the Swazi Senate are elected by the
people.
King Mswati chooses the
Prime Minister and Cabinet members. He also chooses top civil servants and
judges.
See also
Police
Turn Swaziland City Into ‘Warzone’ as National Strike Enters Second Day
Widespread
Condemnation of Swaziland Police Brutal Attacks on Workers
Vicious
Attack by Swaziland Police on Defenceless Workers Captured on Video
Swaziland
(Eswatini) Election 2018: Links to Information and Analysis From Swazi Media
Commentary
Organised
Certainty, Why elections in Swaziland are not democratic
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