Swazi Media Commentary: Swaziland Newsletter No. 797

Swaziland Newsletter No. 797 – 6 October 2023

News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk) in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com), and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.

Commissioner General issued order to assault Bacede Mabuza, over 100 recruits and drunkards unleashed on badly injured MP, shout “You will know King Mswati today”

By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 1 October, 2023

SOURCE

MATSAPHA: Phindile Dlamini, the Correctional Services Commissioner General allegedly issued an order to over one hundred (100) recruits, to assault incarcerated pro-democracy Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza.

The Commissioner General went on to deny the MP the right to eat for two (2) days, after blocking his family on Friday.

It has been disclosed that, family members were only allowed to see the incarcerated MP earlier on Saturday after this Swaziland News exposed that Mabuza was assaulted inside prison.

Information gathered by this publication suggests that, the warders first provoked the MP by blocking his wife and a relative from delivering his food, that was on Friday morning.

The warders allegedly lied to the family member who was at the Matsapha Prison gate that, Mabuza said he doesn’t want to see his wife anymore, yet the MP was patiently waiting for his food inside prison.

The warders then told the MP to go back to his prison cell as the waiting time for the food was over, the MP allegedly responded by saying he won’t go back to the cell without his food.

Over one hundred (100) recruits including drunkards, who drink alcohol at Matsapha Prison Bar were then unleashed by the senior Correctional Officers to assault the MP.

It has been disclosed that, in the process, the recruits and drunkards were allegedly shouting “You will know King Mswati today, the country is facing political instability because of you. Utawuyati iNkhosi Mswati namuhla, lelive linjena nje nguwe lowacala lentfo”.

A questionnaire was sent to Superintendent Gugulethu Dlamini, the Correctional Services Spokesperson, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Saturday, lawyer Sicelo Mngomezulu, the lawyer representing the incarcerated MPs confirmed the assault adding that, the family and lawyers were then blocked from seeing the MP hence his condition after the assault, remain unknown.

“It’s true, we can confirm that the MP was assaulted and his family was then blocked from delivering food, lawyers are also not allowed to see him. As a result, his condition remain unknown and we are preparing to file an urgent application, seeking an order to be allowed to see him,” said the lawyer.

MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube were arrested as per an order allegedly issued by King Mswati merely for demanding democracy inside Parliament.

On another note, the incarcerated MP is currently being kept inside the maximum prison with serious injuries, he was also assaulted all over the body including in the private parts and the eyes.

Political activists including human rights defenders are killed by Mswati’s forces inside prison cells, the State normally cover-up the human rights violations by pretending to be establishing a “Commission of Inquiry” with predictable findings and recommendations.

See also

Grave Violation of human rights recorded

https://developmentdiaries.com/eswatini-grave-violation-of-human-rights-recorded/

Authorities must investigate brutal prison attack on former MP (Amnesty International)

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/eswatini-authorities-must-investigate-former-mps-torture-claims/

Swaziland Elections Round-up

eSwatini announces parliamentary election results under monarch’s rule

By Lunga Masuku, Reuters, 3 October 2023

SOURCE

A total of 51 men and eight women were elected to Eswatini's parliament in last week's election, with a strong showing for pro-royalist candidates in results expected to make little difference to the politics of Africa's last absolute monarchy.

The Southern Africa nation has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986, when he inherited the crown from his father Sobhuza II. It went to the polls on Friday to elect politicians who effectively function as the king's advisers with no executive power. The electoral commission published the results on Monday.

Political parties are banned in the country of about 1.2-million people, but individual candidates are allowed to run for seats in the House of Assembly every five years.

Of the parliamentarians elected in Eswatini, which changed its name from Swaziland in 2018, most were seen as being loyal to the king and included former journalists and teachers.

In addition to the 59 elected MPs, the king will appoint 10 more to the House of Assembly at his discretion, which will include five women.

An AU-led election observation mission said women continued to be underrepresented in parliament.

Many Swazis are reluctant to criticise the 55-year-old king despite rising anger that fuelled violent pro-democracy protests in 2021.

Mswati has also been accused by pro-democracy campaigners of consistently evading calls for meaningful reforms that would push the country towards democracy.

King appoints 10 MPs

By Sibongile Sukati, eSwatini Observer, 5 October 2023

SOURCE

Four former Cabinet ministers have been reappointed as Members of Parliament (MPs) by His Majesty King Mswati III.

This was during the announcement of the 10 MP appointees for the House of Assembly by the Attorney General (AG), Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo at 6pm yesterday during a press conference at his offices.

The former ministers are Prince Simelane, who was minister of Housing and Urban Development, Princess Lindiwe who was minister of Home Affairs, former minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Thulisile Dladla and former minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo.

The attorney general also announced that Prince Lindani, Chief Mshengu, Chief Mvimbi Matse and Chief Ngalokhulu Mabuza were also appointees.

Completing the list was former Elections and Boundaries Commission commissioner Nkosingumenzi Dlamini and Tsembeni Magongo.
This now brings to total 69 MPs after 59 members of

Parliament were elected last week Friday during the national elections held nationwide.

This now brings the number of women in the 12th House of Assembly to 12, as eight others were elected during the secondary elections last week.

To read more of this report click here

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=21239

Opposition calls for change after polls close

By Africanews dot com, 30 September 2023

SOURCE

Voting ended on Friday in Eswatini's legislative elections, Africa's last absolute monarchy.

After sunset, a handful of voters were still lining up to cast their ballots at a polling station in the capital, Mbabane, with not much hope the vote will bring much change.

“The attempt was actually to say let us have people who are going to go into Parliament and be a voice of the voiceless, understanding that in Swaziland there is still a dictatorship, where in the King actually has all the power, absolute monarchy that is. So we want a voice in Parliament to say, let us democratize,” explains Thantaza Silolo, Swaziland Liberation Movement spokesperson.

Despite recent and deadly pro-democracy protests, no turmoil was observed during these elections in which voters were to choose 59 members of the lower house of parliament, which plays only an advisory role to King Mswati.

Polling stations started to close at around 7:00 pm local and counting began in the southern African nation, ruled by King Mswati III for the last four decades.

“Let us have the economy shared amongst ourselves, and let us have power, because they were saying let us have a Prime Minister that has been elected by the people not just a Prime Minister who has been appointed or appointed by the King. Because when the Prime Minister is appointed by the King it means he will not account to the population, he will only account to the one that appointed him, because he holds the power,” adds Thantaza Silolo.

Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini was shaken in 2021 by pro-democracy protests that were violently quashed by security forces, with dozens of people killed.

The results, to be announced within a few days, are seen as a foregone conclusion by the opposition, which largely called for a boycott of the vote.

Political parties are banned in the landlocked country between South Africa and Mozambique, and lawmakers cannot be affiliated with political groups.

The constitution emphasises “individual merit” as the basis for selecting MPs. While it allows for freedom of association, opposition groupings are often run from abroad.

Most candidates are loyal to King Mswati.

Elections chaos as man draws gun, voter stabbed

By Sibusiso Zwane, Stanley Khumalo, Joseph Zulu and Ntombi Mhlongo, eSwatini News, 30 September 2023

SOURCE

MANZINI: The secondary elections in the Manzini-Mbabane corridor were marred by chaos, frustrations and fears of rigging.

Heightened suspicions of the involvement of textile workers, allegations flew back and forth, that one irate voter who supported a certain candidate contesting the Member of Parliament (MP) position drew a gun to scare alleged riggers. At the height of the fracas, some alleged textile workers and the aspiring MP ran for cover. As a result, police were called to three of the polling stations as the aggrieved voters attacked voters they believed were ineligible to vote under Manzini North.

They vowed to deal with candidates who bought votes from the textile industry, mainly in Matsapha, where over 20 000 people are employed.
In one of the incidences, it is alleged that one of the followers of an equally aggrieved MP candidate drew a gun to show potential cheaters that ‘enough is enough.’

According to an eyewitness, the aggrieved voters camped at the polling station before voting started at 7am. Seeing a very long queue with unfamiliar faces, word went out that the textile workers had arrived and were forming part of the registered voters under this embattled constituency.
The eyewitnesses said the angry voters regrouped, in one accord, went to the polling station to confront those they suspected of having come solely to rig the elections, in favour of those who bribed them for illegal votes. During the confrontation, they said one of them allegedly drew a gun, while demanding that the voters, whom they believed were textile workers should not dare go to vote.

To read more of this report, click here

http://www.times.co.sz/news/142036-elections-chaos-as-man-draws-gun-voter-stabbed.html

Other reports on the Swaziland election

Eswatini parliamentary elections: Critics say the vote is a sham election

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4meSod3Z5Y

Malema describes Eswatini parliamentary elections as a 'derision of democracy'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DwKerVlXPc

Sive Siyinqaba: 70% of our members won elections

http://www.times.co.sz/news/142104-sive-siyinqaba-70-of-our-members-won-elections.html

New faces a majority in 12th parliament

http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=21222

Unpopular candidates defeat 17 ex-MPs