PUDEMO MEMBERS STRANDED FOR 3 HOURS AT BORDER

MANZINI – PUDEMO claims that some of their members were stranded for about three hours at Ngwenya Border Gate as their bus was allegedly turned back by the police.
PUDEMO is an acronym for the banned political entity, the People’s United Democratic Movement.

This follows allegations that one of the buses that was ferrying some of the organisation’s members to the congress in COSATU House, Johannesburg was on Friday allegedly blocked and turned back by the Royal Swaziland Police at ngwenya Border Gate.
Mphandlana Shongwe, who was elected the Second Deputy Secretary of the banned political entity, said they hired two buses to ferry them to the congress. He claimed that when they reached the border, police officers asked them where they were heading to.

“They told us that they have never seen such a large number of people crossing the border together. They then ordered one of the buses to turn back. Our members had to wait for about three hours, waiting for alternative transport that was being organised to ferry them to the congress,” Shongwe alleged.

He said they view the act by the police as means by government to sabotage the organisation’s congress. He said they believe that every Swazi has a right to leave and come back when he/she wanted to do so.
“The act of the police will have negative impact on the local business community because if their buses were not allowed to ferry them to South Africa, they would resolve to use foreign transport. We chose to support the local business community because we want them to be empowered but seemingly, the police seem to be against that,” Shongwe said.

PUDEMO Secretary General Mlungisi Makhanya confirmed that some of their members were delayed in reaching the congress venue because the bus they were travelling with was turned back by the police at the border gate. He said they had to wait for an alternative transport which took about three hours to arrive.
However, Police Deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO) Assistant Superintendent Khulani Mamba refuted the claims.
“What they are saying is not true and there is nothing else I can say,” Mamba said.

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