UK SUPPORTS JAILED SWAZI ACTIVIST

Students in the UK are to pay the university fees of Swaziland democracy campaigner Maxwell Dlamini after he was stopped from going to school because of his political beliefs.

Maxwell is the former leader of the Swaziland National Union of Students who was arrested and charged with possessing explosives at a democracy rally in 2011 and sedition after trying to organise a rally in April 2013 to oppose Swaziland’s non-democratic election.

He was released from jail, but on stringent bail conditions pending trial, after a global campaign to free him. He later reported he had been beaten while in jail.

The Swazi Government withdrew his scholarship to study at the University of Swaziland as punishment for his political activities.

Political parties are unable to operate in Swaziland where King Mswati III rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. All opposition groups are banned as ‘terrorists’ under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Now, Dom Anderson, NUS Vice President (Society and Citizenship), has announced the UK National Union of Students will pay Dlamini’s school fees for the next term.

Dlamini had addressed the NUS conference in the UK earlier this year about the lack of democracy in Swaziland and the pressure student activists face.

Anderson said in a statement, ‘Students across the UK mobilized; Facebook profile pictures were replaced by the face of Maxwell for our campaign’s call to “Free Maxwell”.

‘MPs up and down the country received letters and emails from concerned students showing solidarity and demanding justice for Maxwell. At NUS we received unprecedented levels of support. It was wonderful to see students united against oppression being faced by one of our own, it was an action that followed in the tradition of global justice campaigning that NUS owes its history to.’

Maxwell told the UK NUS, ‘My release on bail was not just the benevolence of the undemocratic government but it was the tireless and relentless work of the UK NUS and all those who were involved in the campaign for my unconditional release.

‘The pressure they placed on government and profiling the case as wide as possible really exposed the kind of government that suppresses and repressed dissent and peace loving citizens. I was not going to be released if it wasn’t for the wonderful work of the campaign initiators.’

‘I am currently out on bail, I have not yet been allocated a court date to go and appear in court for the case. It is usual in Swaziland that people are placed on indefinite bail especially on political cases because government usually don’t have a case against the said accused they are placed on indefinite bail.

‘We however are doing everything possible with my lawyer to call for a speedy and fair trial so that the truth on the matter can be exposed to all.’

Anderson said, ‘Swaziland is a really harsh country to be a student activist. Those who support democracy and rights can expect to face intimidation and harassment from the regime at the very least, in the case of Maxwell, they can face a great deal worse.’

See also

POLICE HARASS STUDENT LEADER

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/01/police-harass-student-leader.html

 

POLICE TORTURE STUDENT LEADER

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/03/police-torture-student-leader.html

 

NOW, ELECTION MEETINGS ARE SEDITIOUS

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/04/now-election-meetings-are-seditious.html

FREE MAXWELL GOES GLOBAL

Guardian UK

8 June 2011

Maxwell Dlamini supporters launch campaign to free him

Swazi student leader arrested on the eve of a pro-Democracy protest and charged with possession of explosives

A campaign has been launched to free Maxwell Dlamini, the president of Swaziland's NUS (SNUS). Dlamini was arrested, along with political activist Musa Mgudeni, on the eve of the pro-Democracy protests on April 12 and charged with possession of illegal ammunition, although he denies this charge.

His supporters say that the Swazi government is trying to smear Dlamini because he is a popular and well-known figure in Swaziland having led many battles with the government on behalf of the students since he took office.

Dlamini was voted in as president of the NUS in October 2010 and has since led campaigns against increased tuition fees, against proposed cuts to scholarship programmes, and in favour of compelling the Swazi government to honour its constitutional commitment to introduce free primary school education.

Swazi parents currently pay fees for education at every level. A situation that forces some to educate only some of their children and only in the months that they can afford to pay for schooling.

The UK's incoming NUS vice president for society and citizenship, Danielle Grufferty, described Dlamini as "the figurehead" of Swazi student politics. "Maxwell is well-known as a radical within the democracy and union movements in Swaziland," she said. She also said the police knew him as the organiser of recent student protests.

Grufferty, who has lived in Swaziland for a year, was in the country at the time of Dlamini's first bail hearing. She said that the prosecution tried to establish Dlamini as a threat to society. "At the hearing, the prosecution kept asking the police if they thought he was a threat to society, and the police kept saying they believed he was but they couldn't produce any evidence. They asked questions about previous misconduct and there were none. They asked about previous convictions and there weren't any of those either. In the three days that I attended court they didn't produce any evidence to support the allegation that he was in possession of explosives. The people in the gallery began to laugh at the police because of their answers, which annoyed the judge and she warned the gallery: 'There are enough cells down there for you all'."

The prosecution argued that they needed more time and the hearing ended without the judge ruling on whether or not Dlamini could be bailed.

Grufferty filmed this interview outside the court where Dlamini's supporters were singing Swazi liberation songs, and pledging to return to the court each Friday until Dlamini's case is heard.

• Swazi school teachers took to the streets last week demanding that King Mswati III's assets to be frozen following a warning from finance minister Majozi Sithole that the government could not ensure salaries would be paid beyond June.

UK STUDENTS BACK MAXWELL DLAMINI

The UK National Union of Students NUS is campaigning for the release of Maxwell Dlamini, president of Swaziland's National Union of Students (SNUS) after he was arrested in April on the eve of a pro-democracy demonstration.

Newstime Africa has reported that is in good spirits despite being denied bail, denied the right to sit his exams, and facing charges of possessing explosives.

The Guradian newspaper, UK, reports today (26 May 2011) Amnesty International said Dlamini was detained at a roadblock just outside Mbabane, Swaziland's capital, along with three others on the eve of a series of planned protest marches. Allegations of torture and forced confession have been made on Stiff Kitten's blog.

In media interviews in the run up the protests Dlamini had called for "the end of the royal misrule in Swaziland" and urged the Swazi student body to rise up and "take to the streets and protest" against King Mswati III's regime.

UK NUS vice president Shane Chowen tweeted

If you do one thing today write to the Swaziland High Commissioner demanding the release of President of Swaziland NUS.