REPS: WE WILL FETCH THOSE WHO MADE THREATS

MANZINI – Those who made threats in light of the political turmoil in the country will be fetched by the police.

This was an assertion made by the Regional Staff Officer (RSO), Sikhumbuzo Gwebu, who is based at the Manzini Police Regional Headquarters (HRQ), on Monday when addressing students from the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU). The students had marched to the Manzini RHQ following that their fellow and Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) President, Colani Maseko and Sibusiso Nkwanyane, were taken by police officers on their way to the institution. Maseko was later charged with sedition and two counts of malicious damage to property while Nkwanyane was later released.

Demanding

Leading to Maseko being arraigned on the three charges, the students, while singing political songs and demanding his release, were engaged by Gwebu, who explained to them that Maseko and others were requested, solicited and beseeched to come to the police so that they could be engaged on issues that touched on them. He said they were taken in to be questioned about incidents, which took place during the unrest. “This will not happen to just the two as there are many people who have been requested several times to explain their part. They’ve either refused, neglected or failed to come,” Gwebu said. He said police could not neglect an investigation because people did not want to heed their request. The RSO explained that there was nothing peculiar about this act as it was the same treatment meted to other people who were either suspects or involved in cases that were being investigated.

Arrested

Gwebu further said fetching that person to a police station did not mean that individual was arrested, but it was merely to seek information and if it transpired that they were party to what they were being questioned about, they would be arrested. He emphasised that others were yet to be called in. It is worth noting that the National Commissioner of Police (NATCOM), William Tsitsibala Dlamini, had made calls for those who were supposedly making threats around the country to come forward. In light of this, Chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) and Human Rights Lawyer, Thulani Maseko said they were not aware of this development. He, however, wondered why the arrests and interviews were being conducted at this point. He said the people who were being taken in the police were those who had expressed that they wanted political reforms as the current dispensation was not working for them.
“We don’t see why people are being arrested for expressing their right on how they want to be governed. There is no crime in that,” he said.

The human rights lawyer said they would deal with this when it happened as they were still uncertain for now what was really happening. Also, President of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Mbongwa Dlamini, said he was aware of the developments. Dlamini said when people were being called to present themselves before the police, he had no cellular phone; hence, he was not reachable. He supposed that what was happening in terms of taking people in for questioning and arresting others was a form of intimidation.
“This is intimidation, victimisation and a form of instilling fear among the people as they are targeting leaders from what we’ve gathered,” Dlamini said.

Also, the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), Mduduzi Gina, said this was a sign of intimidation and victimisation of dissenting voices.  “This can only happen in a police State where people are confined to only the norms set by the political leaders,” Gina said. He supposed that such developments were set to mull the voices of people who were seeking political reforms. Gina said it was their view that those targeted incited people to be aware of happenings in various fields, socially, economically and politically.
He said this could not be an offence in any democratic society. “The federation stands opposed to the continuous arrests of people with dissenting views than those projected by the current establishment. The arrests are a clear indication of lack of political tolerance on the part of the authorities, a fundamental principle of good political governance expected from a civil community.”

Criticism

He said the occupation of a public office attracted criticism, if a person held such occupation; it was assumed that he/she had agreed to be criticised. Gina said it was unconstitutional to arrest critics, more so if such criticism was a consequence of the occupation of the public office. Following the call by the NATCOM to visit the police station, the SNUS president relayed to this publication in an interview that he was aware of the NATCOM’s declaration. Maseko said they were still to do even more and if the police chief was of the view that the statements made were threats, something was coming their way.

He was quoted saying, there was no amount of threats, intimidation whether prison time and torture that could stop them because all they wanted was democracy.  At the time, Maseko also said they would do whatever it took to achieve democracy as students in the country. The SNUS president said there were no threats which were made by him, but clear statements that as a student union representative, they would not rest and the country would not be normal until all political prisoners were released, including the two arrested Members of Parliament (MPs) in Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube as well as Amos Mbedzi. He said the trio should be released unconditionally and also the unrestricted return of all political exiled people, including the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) President and former Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane.

Maseko also stated that all political parties should be unbanned because the exiled and imprisoned persons had to participate during the upcoming national dialogue. “We will not dialogue to massage someone’s feelings because this is a transition towards a democratic government,” he added. He said the situation in the country was unstable and they would continue calling for democracy and the release of political prisoners.

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