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ALPHEOUS, ACTIVISTS’ ENCOUNTER AT SADC TROIKA: DETAILS REVEALED

05/02/2023 16:32:00 Mfanukhona Nkambule

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MBABANE – What was Alpheous Nxumalo discussing with members of the mass democratic movement (MDM) on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit?

The Times SUNDAY approached him to find out what he was actually discussing with the MDM’s delegation, which comprised of Mlungisi Makhanya, Sicelo Mngomezulu, Penuel Malinga, Wandile Dludlu and Busi Mayisela. In his response, the government press secretary said it was true that he came face to face with the well known political activists. He narrated that it was immediately after he had left the summit hall at the end the official opening to do an interview with SABC and NBC that he met them. He said he was waiting for those interviews at the hotel lobby when, all of a sudden, actually from nowhere, the activities emerged and charged towards where he was sitting.

encounter

He said they were led by Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Sicelo Mngomezulu, an attorney and businessman based in South Africa, alongside Penuel Malinga, a PUDEMO long-serving member, who is part of the executive. He said Malinga acted as their cameraman as he took pictures of the encounter and uploaded them on social media platforms. He recalled that Busi Mayisela and two other men, whom he did not recognise but appeared to him as their bodyguards or something else, was also there. The government press secretary mentioned that Wandile Dludlu, the Secretary General of PUDEMO and four others stood a distance away from them. Initially, Nxumalo said the encounter was hostile, aggressive and combative, especially by the PUDEMO President, Mngomezulu and Malinga. After serious deliberations on politics and SADC, he had an opportunity to ask Makhanya a few questions. One of his questions, he said, was based on social media insinuations that Thulani Maseko could have been assassinated by two well known political activists.

allegations

He said he asked the PUDEMO president why they were not responding to such serious allegations in the same way they expected government to react to the accusations that it was responsible for Maseko’s death. He said Makhanya responded to the negative. While conversing with him, the government press secretary told the Times SUNDAY that he (Makhanya) raised a very personal matter to which he actually could sense that he was not only hurting but also revengeful. He said it was then that they relocated to a different spot to discuss more on a personal note. He declined to divulge Makhanya’s personal issues.

refocus

“I think somehow, I achieved calming Mlungusi on this personal matter through counselling and refocus his feelings and actions to the right direction,” said Nxumalo. “In practical terms, we parted ways on rather positive and respectful manner.” He added: “I can only take this opportunity to inform all future delegations to such meetings to brace themselves for more such encounters as the MDM looks more desperate to press every panic buttons.”

Sicelo Mngomezulu
He said it was at this juncture that Mngomezulu, in a very sad voice, raised concern that he was pained by the fact that he could no longer visit his home in Eswatini. He was declared by the Minister of Home Affairs, Princess Lindiwe, as an undesirable person in Eswatini. He said his response to Mngomezulu was that, since he was a lawyer, he knew what he had to do if he really felt that his rights were violated and infringed upon by that decision. Nxumalo narrated that he advised the lawyer that the courts were open and the judges were impartial.
“He laughed,” he said. He added that he also reminded him of the siSwati way of bringing a matter to the attention of the authorities for intervention. He said he volunteered his availability as his emissary (lincusa). “There was more giggling at this stage,” he said.

Busi Mayisela
Pertaining to Busi Mayisela, the President of the Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF), Nxumalo said she indicated to him that ‘she now has a desire to return home.’ “When I asked what stops her from coming home, she couldn’t come out clear. I then asked about their mission in Windhoek and they never responded,” he said. He said they told him that they were in Namibia as emaSwati to demand a report the government was going to tell SADC about the national dialogue. He said it was then that he stood up and greeted them in a handshake, advising them in the process that it was unSwati to start a conversation with someone without honouring greetings. “We all burst to a big laughter,” he said.

extreme control

Nxumalo, who studied Theology and Political Science, said he could notice though that Makhanya’s laughter was under extreme control while the rest of them were giggling. “We then all calmly sat down while they were still boisterous in demanding a report of the summit,” he narrated. The government spokesperson told the Times SUNDAY that he had to respond to their demand for the release of the report by taking them through the process of the summit. He said he informed them politely that the summit did not report deliberations, but it reported its final decisions or resolutions at the end of the meeting in the form of a minute called ‘communiqué’. Nxumalo said he told them that the communiqué remained a public document for which everyone, including them, could access and be able to know what the summit was all about. He said he reminded them that the summit was a gathering of heads of State and government. As their bragging about being emaSwati, he said he made it clear to them that they should know better that Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini was standing for His Majesty King Mswati III.

conversations

Nxumalo said the prime minister was expected to hand over the report to the King. At this point of their encounter, he said the conversations were cordial and reciprocal as the mood and attitude had calmed down. He added that they then jumped back to the issue of the national dialogue, politely asking as to when the dialogue would take place. Nxumalo told this newspaper that his response was that the dialogue would take place in a conducive environment, not under hostilities and gunfire. The government press secretary explained that his response made Makhanya to look tense and agitated such that he (Nxumalo) came straight to him with a question; “would you renounce and stop the violence?” He said Makhanya responded with both ‘a yes and no.’ “I’ll skip the details of both for now,” he said.

Nxumalo said the MDM representatives also raised the issue of hired hitmen and mercenaries. In his response, he said he told them that government did not hire hitmen or women or any other mercenary. He said any government reserved the right to retaliate or defend itself when under attack and the mode of retaliation and defence could not be prescribed by the attacker or aggressor, but the State did not hire the services of those people. He said he explained to them that government had enough security officers or personnel to do any job they were assigned by their superiors to do. “And they are willing and raring to go,” he said.

revenge

“However, the time has not come yet to do so. Besides, we are a country as they know, that believes in dialogue and persuasion, not in violence and counter violence or revenge.” He said the true position was that government hired the services of military experts to train and orient national security services in order for them to be able to face the new security challenge in the country posed by terrorists and insurgency organisations. “Of course, arguments ensued here, but they were decent and polite,” he said. The government’s mouthpiece then congratulated the prime minister and his delegation on their successes during the summit as it had been a while since he had seen or heard a position of the Kingdom of Eswatini so expressly articulated with brilliance, clarity and precision - multilateral or bilateral.

Sicelo reacts
Responding to Nxumalo’s assertions, Mngomezulu said he was talking nonsense. “Alpheous is talking nonsense,” he said. Mngomezulu said they just greeted him as a fellow liSwati and there was nothing further that they discussed with the government press secretary. “None of what he’s telling you is anywhere closer to the truth,” said Mngomezulu. The attorney denied that they talked about SADC processes with him. “We didn’t talk about SADC processes with him,” he said. He said they were not in Namibia at the Eswatini Government’s pleasure. He explained that they were there to engage with Namibia and other representatives of countries that were represented at the SADC Troika Summit. He mentioned that they also wanted to engage the civil society and international partners as well as global media. Mngomezulu said they were not interested in engaging the Eswatini Government through its spokesman.
“The issues we are dealing with are above Alpheous’s position,” Mngomezulu said. He said he also did not address anything with him related to the illegal banning order against him and he actually did not need an emissary, let alone one that has been organised by Nxumalo.

Busi responds
Busi Mayisela, the President of SFDF, said they did not have any political business to discuss with Nxumalo. She said they stumbled on him while they were minding their own business.
“...and as Swazis (emaSwati) we greeted him that’s all,” said Mayisela. She said she never discussed anything with him about her purported homesickness. That is not true unfortunately,” she said. Efforts to get hold of Makhanya were unsuccessful as he had not responded to a questionnaire sent to him through the WhatsApp messaging app.