‘VIVA PUDEMO’ got Mphandlana in trouble

MBABANE - It was the words ‘Viva PUDEMO, Viva SWAYOCO’ that got Peter Mphandlana Shongwe into trouble with the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

Norman Xaba on the other hand wore a T-Shirt with words PUDEMO and placed himself on collision course with the same act.
Yesterday the two were formally charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and appeared at the High Court before Judge Qinisile Mabuza where they were granted a E3 000 bail.
The accused were both represented by Manzini lawyer Leo Gama while Nkosinathi Maseko appeared for the crown.

According to the charge sheet, Shongwe is alleged to have, on July 18 2009, unlawfully and knowingly gave support to terrorist groups (viz) PUDEMO and SWAYOCO by uttering the words ‘Viva PUDEMO, Viva SWAYOCO’ while Xaba is alleged to have, on the same day, gave support to a terrorist group (viz) PUDEMO by wearing a T-shirt with the words ‘PUDEMO’.

In the summary of evidence Detective Gama states that he was at the Bosco Skills Centre during the Civil Society dialogue and spotted Xaba wearing the T-shirt with the words ‘ Shiselweni region PUDEMO, Insika Yenkhululeko yemaswati, People’s United Democratic Movement 2008’.
He says in his evidence that he then arrested him and subsequently charged him under the Suppression of Terrorism Act.

The police have also stated that Constable Simiso Mamba recorded all the actitvies during the civil society dialogue in a video and will produce it in court as evidence when the trial commences.

For Shongwe, Detective Assistant Superintendent Aaron Methula stated that he arrested Shongwe after his submissions during the civil society dialogue and then went to his home where they conducted a search and confisticated four PUDEMO T-shirts as well as a PUDEMO document which he said they will bring to court as exhibits when the trial resumes.