Lozitha Bridge bomber; I will die

MBABANE- Amos Mbedzi, the man that was arrested in connection with last year’s fatal explosion at Lozitha bridge, has detailed how he is allegedly mistreated inside prison and even doubts if he will ever get a fair trial.

The suspect feels he will die in prison. He also alleges that authorities in the country ordered that he be locked up all the time.
Mbedzi has filed an urgent application at the High Court, where he is seeking an order that will compel the Swaziland Correctional Services personnel to allow him sunshine and exercise, just like other inmates as well as a release from the solitary confinement.

In his founding affidavit, Mbedzi, a South African from Limpopo, alleges that ever since he was detained at the Matsapha Maximum Prison, his relatives are not allowed to visit him. He is also not allowed into the yard to enjoy sunshine and exercise like other inmates, not allowed free access to the toilet and not allowed to interact with other inmates as he is locked in a cell all day.

He also alleges that as if to ensure that he get little exposure outside his cell, he has never been taken to court for a remand hearing but the magistrate has been coming to prison for such remands.

“I have been advised that there is a practise that all accused persons whose matters are to be tried at the High Court are remanded inside prison. I started being in prison long before a decision was taken as to where my matter would be tried. I submit that the fact that I have been remanded inside prison and never taken for a remand in open court smacks of discriminatory treatment and makes me doubt that I will receive a fair treatment,” reads Mbedzi’s court papers.

He also states that his family visited him about a month upon his arrest, then after they were told that in order to visit him they would have to apply months earlier and report to the South African embassy before they are granted permission.

Mbedzi says that he has been advised that there were many South Africans who get detained in the country’s prisons but such conditions on visitation have not been applied.
“My family has certain persons within the country that they have contacted to check on me and provide me with necessities, but such persons have been turned back by the personnel at the Matsapha Correctional Services, on the ground that they are not my next of kin. My family is very far from Swaziland, Limpopo, so the insistence that they can only visit me after months is clearly intended to punish me.

The only persons other than my family who has been allowed to visit me is my attorney and now have to burden him with provision of reading material and toiletries, when there are other persons who are willing to help me,” continues Mbedzi’s urgent application.

…I use a bucket as a toilet- suspect

MBABANE- Amos Mbedzi has alleged that he is made to use a bucket in his cell to urinate and only uses the toilet to defecate.

In an urgent application moved by his lawyer Leo Gama at the High Court, Mbedzi alleges that in February 2009 his attorney drew the attention of a Magistrate to the fact that he was kept under seriously bad conditions but no attempt was made to improve the conditions.

“Within the compound that I am detained in, the other inmates are free (during day time) to use the toilet as they wish, but I have to shout to the prison guard to let me out of my cell into the toilet. I submit that it is degrading that whenever I need to go to the toilet I announce to everybody, as it has now been known within the compound that when I shout for the guard I need to visit the toilet.

I am given a bucket that I have which I use to urinate in as I am not allowed permission to go to the toilet only to urinate but have to do that in the bucket and only allowed to empty it in the morning. The other prisoners are allowed during the day to go to an exercise yard to enjoy exercise and sunshine but I am denied that comfort,” alleges Mbedzi in his court papers.

Mbedzi contends that the exercise area was very secure within the compound and that it could never be said he would escape.
He now feels that the conditions he is kept under are clearly designed to subject him to degrading and inhumane treatment in order to wreck him emotionally, mentally which may even result in his death.

“I submit further that the treatment that I am subjected to is in contravention of Chapter III, Section 18 (2) of the Constitution of Swaziland which states that a person shall not be subjected to torture or to inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.