EUROPE GETS TOUGH ON SD

MBABANE – About 600 MPs in the European Parliament have voted in favour of a stern warning to Swaziland, to unconditionally release political prisoners and stop intimidating journalists, failing which the country will lose its EU market.

The EU market is valued at more than E20 billion per year.
Swaziland imports sugar, beef, citrus and Coca Cola concentrate to Europe. 

One of the 11 resolutions taken by the 579 MPs was: “The EU Parliament reminds the Government of Swaziland that failure to improve its human rights standards and ensuring a legal framework for better working conditions and greater individual freedoms will jeopardise its access to lucrative overseas markets, which deliver higher wages and reducing poverty benefitting the country as a whole.” 
However, the Supreme Court has only released Bheki Makhubu, Editor of The Nation Magazine and Thulani Maseko, a human rights attorney, while Mario Masuku, Maxwell Dlamini and seven political activists were released on bail.
The seven activists were admitted to bail of E15 000 each in May 2014.

This was after they had been found in possession of T-shirts inscribed PUDEMO (People’s United Democratic Movement), a banned entity in Swaziland. 
Each of the seven PUDEMO members paid E5 000 in cash and provided surety for the balance of E10 000.

Their names are Bongani Gama, Mlungisi Makhanya (PUDEMO Secretary General), Brian Ntshangase, Mangaliso Khumalo,  Bafana Magongo, Ntobeko Maseko and Siza Tsabedze.
They were arrested on April 24, 2014 near the High Court, where the trial of The Nation Magazine Editor Bheki Makhubu and Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko was ongoing.

The activists are facing four counts which include contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act No.3 of 2008 and Sedition and Subversive Activities Act No.3 of 2008.
Meanwhile, Masuku, President of PUDEMO and Dlamini, Secretary General of another proscribed entity, SWAYOCO, were released on conditional bail.
They will return to court for a hearing.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: