The chairman of the Swaziland (eSwatini) political party
Sive Siyinqaba
was questioned by police amid a fear he
might be charged with sedition or terrorism.
Musa Nkambule, who is also a former government
minister, was held for three hours and questioned by eight officers in Manzini
on Tuesday, Eyewitness
News in South Africa reported.
He was accompanied by his lawyer Thulani
Rudolf Maseko.
It followed an official denial
from the Swaziland government that Nkambule
and three others were wanted for questioning on treason charges.
Nkambule had recently written a statement on behalf
of his party that
criticised King Mswati III, Swaziland’s absolute monarch, for buying
a fleet of 15 luxury Rolls-Royce cars for himself and his wives which were
estimated to have cost US$6 million and the purchase of a fleet of 126 BMW cars
and motorbikes for ‘escort duties’.
The
statement read in part, ‘Sive Siyinqaba holds the view that someone [King
Mswati] is on a suicide mission; unfortunately, he wants to sink with the whole
country. We think it is time we say, we would rather remain afloat than to sink
with you. High volumes of hundreds of millions in foreign exchange have been
siphoned from the country to be spent in countries that need them less, in the
form of competitive royal trips that we witnessed this year.’
Eyewitness News quoted Maseko
saying, ‘If they do believe the statement that Mr Nkambule made undermines the
authority of the king, they can move against you with sedition or even
terrorism.’
He said police confiscated Nkambule’s cellphone.
He added, ‘They want to see what conversations he has
had and they will see if they can charge him.’
Eyewitness News reported, ‘Maseko said while police insisted their intention was not to arrest Nkambule, they wouldn’t be surprised if they go back on their word or go as far as charging him with treason.’
Eyewitness News reported, ‘Maseko said while police insisted their intention was not to arrest Nkambule, they wouldn’t be surprised if they go back on their word or go as far as charging him with treason.’
The Swaziland News,
an online newspaper, quoted Maseko saying, ‘We went
there in the morning together with his wife and they confirm to have raided his
home, they then requested to speak to him privately. Thereafter, he was
released, hence we are waiting for their feedback tomorrow if they charge him
or not.’
See also
Swaziland
ex-Govt minister in hiding after calling on absolute monarch to hand over power
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