Swaziland Newsletter No. 836 – 19
July 2024
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.
eSwatini
pro-democracy MPs sentenced for murder, ‘terrorism’
By
AFP (Agence France Presse), 15 July 2024
A court in Eswatini sentenced two
pro-democracy lawmakers to 25 and 18 years in jail on Monday for
“terrorism” and murder related to 2021 protests in Africa's last absolute
monarchy.
The former members of parliament had
pleaded innocent to all counts ahead of their conviction last year, almost two
years after they were arrested on accusations of having incited unrest.
A judge at the High Court in the capital
Mbabane sentenced Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza to 25 years and Mthandeni Dube to 18
years in jail.
“I have considered the fact that you were
remorseful throughout the trial and that is the reason I will give you a lesser
sentence,” she said.
Mabuza and Dube were arrested in July 2021
during pro-democracy protests that were violently quashed by security forces,
leaving dozens dead.
They had advocated for reforms to a
complex system of non-party elections that effectively ensures King Mswati III
faces no meaningful dissent.
According to a Human Rights Watch report
in 2023, the murder conviction relates to the deaths of two men hit by a car on
June 29, 2021, at a roadblock during the protests.
A lawyer for the pair said they were not
present.
Mswati, who has ruled since 1986, wields
absolute power in the small kingdom of around 1.2 million people, most of whom
live in poverty.
The 56-year-old can veto any legislation,
appoints the prime minister and cabinet, and is constitutionally above the law.
The South African-based pro-democracy
Swaziland Solidarity Network said the sentences against Mabuza and Dube were
“ridiculous” and praised the men as “freedom fighters”.
The Swaziland Liberation Movement said it
was appalled by the sentences which appeared to “silence” members of
parliament.
Authorities must quash convictions
and sentences of former MPs
Amnesty
International, 16 July 2024
Following the sentencing of former
Eswatini Members of Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza to 85 years and Mthandeni
Dube to 58 years in prison, with effective sentence terms of 25 years and 18
years respectively due to concurrent sentences, Amnesty International’s Deputy
Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said:
“Eswatini authorities must immediately
quash the unjust and baseless convictions and sentences of the former members
of parliament. Their convictions and sentences stem solely from the peaceful
exercise of their human rights.
“Authorities must immediately and
unconditionally release Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube and end this
travesty of justice and blatant attempt to suppress
peaceful dissent.
“Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube
have been arbitrarily detained since their arrest during pro-democracy protests
in 2021. They have been subjected to a prolonged legal process characterized by
baseless charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and Sedition and
Subversive Activities Act. The former members of parliament were prosecuted for
calling for political reform in Eswatini.
To read more of this statement, click
here
 |
Convicted
eSwatini pro-democracy MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube collectively
sentenced to six-eight (68) years in prison for demanding democracy. Picture: Swaziland News
The heavy sentence on our
MPs will not derail our quest for freedom
Media
Statement, SWALIMO, Swati Newsweek, 16 July 2024,
The Swaziland Liberation Movement
(SWALIMO) is appalled by the heavy sentencing on the former Members of
Parliament, Hon. Bacede and Mthandeni to a collective 68 years.
The constitutional provision of freedom of
speech and consciousness has been violated by the courts of this country
through this sentencing. It is further clear that the independence of
Parliament has been compromised leaving the nation with nothing else but to
conclude that the sentencing is meant to silence Members of Parliament.
This is further proof that there is no
rule of law in Eswatini. SWALIMO has been constrained to the hope that sanity
will prevail as an organization that regards the rule of law to be supreme,
however, this sentencing has confirmed that the Tinkhundla system is always
ready to go against the law of the land.
SWALIMO calls on all Emaswati in all their
diverse associations to unite and do the neccessary in solidarity with the
former MPs. Injustice to them is injustice to all of us and as a nation we must
apply all means available to show our indictnation.
Swaziland will be free eventually and we
all need to wait with breasted hopes for the day of freedom where all our tears
will wiped away.
Issued by: Thantaza N Silolo
SWALIMO Spokesperson.
See also
Shame on you Judge Mumcy Dlamini for
convicting innocent MPs based on false accusations, a prostitute can never be
trusted with the administration of justice
https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=6945
PUDEMO condemns sentencing of
pro-democracy MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, says judiciary used to
silence dissenting views.
https://swazilandnews.co.za/fundza.php?nguyiphi=6943
COSATU calls for sanctions against eSwatini
for sentencing MPs calling for democracy to 68 years in prison
By Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News, 16 July, 2024
MBABANE: Zinhle Matsebula, the
businesswoman whose name features prominently in the Ministry of Health
multibillion drugs shortage scandal, was allegedly investigated by the Central
Bank of Eswatini (CBE) Financial Intelligence Unit for alleged suspicious
transactions.
This is contained in the leaked documents
from the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit (EFIU), the documents in
possession of this Swaziland News were leaked to a team of international
journalists including this publication.
A report from the Financial Intelligence
Unit suggests that Matsebula, who was working for the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM)
Hospital, was banking with the First National Bank(FNB) since March 2010.
But the bank is alleged to have forwarded
a report to the Central Bank for possible investigation after detecting
suspicious transactions from different accounts.
“Zinhle Matsebula is employed by the RFM
hospital as a nurse. The client has been banking with FNB since March 2010 and
she has another account linked to her in the name of Zimpa Investement pty ltd.
Client's transactional behaviour in the personal account is suspicious in that
often receives cash deposits and electronic payments from different accounts
which we do not know the purpose of the transactions. The transactional
activity suggests that she is running a small business and managing its
finances using the personal account. She also makes regular payments to an
account referenced Total Life”, reads the report in part.
The report further suggests that,
Matsebula, while working for the RFM Hospital was suspected of secret dealings
but she was disguising with a small business she operated through her personal
bank account.
The businesswoman was later implicated in
the drugs shortage scandal after she allegedly colluded with SwaziPharm
Director Kareem Ashraff to establish Lifespan Pharmaceuticals and other
companies that were allegedly used to loot millions of public funds resulting
to shortage of drugs in public hospitals.
Businesswoman Zinhle Matsebula denied any
involvement in the widely reported drugs shortage scandal.
On another note,the thousands of leaked
documents in possession of this Swaziland News and other international
journalists include reports from the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit(EFIU)
and suspicious transactions for politicians, businesspeople, private and public
companies including ordinary citizens who are suspected of money laundering.
We’re ready with alternative remedies
for patients - tinyanga
By
Bongumusa Simelane, eSwatini Observer, 18 July 2024
In the face of the drug shortage in public
health facilities in the country, traditional healers have raised their hands
and want to come in and help the nation with natural herbs in a bid to salvage
the situation.
This comes after an ongoing public outcry
over the country’s worsening health crisis, which has seen many Emaswati having
to fork out their hard earned money to purchase different types of medication
in private pharmacies due to the lack or non-availability of medication in
public hospitals and clinics.
Following that, some traditional healers
have come out to claim that they can assist Emaswati by treating some of their
illnesses using traditional herbs or medicine.
One of the traditional healers, who has
vouched for African medicine, was Dr Malayini Matsebula, who said as
traditional healers they have a lot to offer in the face of the drug crisis in
the country.
Matsebula said traditional healers do have
medication that can help in the treating of most of the ailments that the
public usually suffers from. He stated that some of the medication that is
offered in health facilities is derived from plants or herbs that they also use
to treat illnesses.
“The problem is that some people lack
knowledge on such things and this is attributed to by religious beliefs and
other factors. As traditional healers we heal people from a lot of sicknesses
which are also treated in hospitals, but people tend to look down upon
tradition healers due to lack of knowledge about what they can actually do,” he
said.
Matsebula said sometimes some pastors
would preach against the use of herbs yet some of them come to them secretly to
seek for assistance. He stated that such behaviour should be done away with
because it puts the lives of Emaswati at risk. He said Emaswati needed
knowledge about the use of traditional medicine and to differentiate between
witchcraft and traditional healing.
In addition, he said despite that, some
people do come to seek for help from traditional healers and they get treated
of their illnesses. He said it was not a good thing that as traditional healers
they would be reduced to just being gate keepers when it comes to the use of
traditional medicine.
He added that despite that, some people do
come to consult with them whenever they are sick and they get treated
effectively. He said traditional healing was just a calling just like being a
doctor in a hospital. Matsebula stated that as traditional healers they wish to
see western doctors cooperating with them in this field of medicine.
To read more of this report, click
here
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=22584
Schools food crisis: Some pupils
steal lunch boxes
By
Sithembile Hlatshwayo, edited from Times of eSwatini print edition, 18
July 2024
MBABANE: The food crisis in schools has
reached alarming levels, where some learners have resorted to stealing from
their peers and bullies forcefully grabbing lunch boxes.
So serious is the situation such that some
schools have resorted to seeking monetary contributions and mealie-meal in an
effort to mitigate the situation. Early this year, Edlozini Primary School
pupils were asked to contribute mealie-meal to the school feeding scheme. Also
Mnyokane Primary School asked pupils to provide sugar from home. This was after
the school was only left with maize-meal.
Currently, there are 600 primary schools
in the country.
In a most recent case, Mater Dolorosa
(MDS) Primary School reached out to parents to make contributions to buy food,
as the government supply ration has significantly declined.
This was during an urgent food crisis
meeting, which was held at the school yesterday.
The parents were called to the urgent
meeting and turned out in numbers, such that the hall was full to its capacity
and some people had to listen from outside.
Following a number of suggestions which
were made by the parents, the school chose to go with the money contributions,
as more parents voted for that idea. Other suggestions included a vegetable
garden and poultry farming.
The Head teacher of the school, Thabo
Nkambule, said the food supply which they received from government had
significantly declined.
SWAZI
MEDIA COMMENTARY
Find us:
Blog: https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142383985790674
X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com @Swazimedia
