POLITICAL ACTIVISTS BARRED FROM SEEING THULANI MASEKO

MBABANE – A group of political activists and union members were on Sunday barred from visiting Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko and ordered to leave Big Bend Correctional facility.

They were turned back even before they could enter the prison facilities.
The Correctional Services had qualms with the fact that the union members came to the facility as a group instead of individuals or relatives of Maseko.

Trade Union Congress of Swaziland’s (TUCOSWA) Secretary General Vincent Ncongwane, who was part of those who were turned back, condemned the Correctional Services personnel’s conduct and that it was wrong not to allow them to visit Maseko.
Ncongwane said they wanted to show moral support to the incarcerated human rights lawyer.

During the registration process, it is said that other officers emerged from the facility and told the group that they were not going to meet Maseko.  It is alleged that an altercation then ensured between the officers and the group after the order not to see Maseko was issued.
The union members and activists left the Correctional facility and made their trip back to their various places of abode.
This was despite that they had each produced their national identity cards as required by the Correctional Services.

Others who were turned back include TUCOSWA’s Barnes Dlamini, Mphandlana Shongwe, and a certain Phumelele to name just a few.
“Our intention was to check Maseko and later see Bheki Makhubu the following day. However, that was not to be as we were turned back in Big Bend and obviously that was going to be the case at Sidwashini. We, therefore, decided to cancel our trip to check on Makhubu,” Ncongwane alleged.

His Majesty’s Correctional Services Public Relations Officer Senior Superintendent Bongani Khumalo confirmed knowledge of the matter. However, Khumalo refuted claims that there was a confrontation after the group was turned back at the main gate in Big Bend Prison.

“They came to check on Maseko, however, the officer in charge at Big Bend advised them, that since they were coming as a group,they need to seek permission from the office of the commissioner general before they could have an audience with Maseko.
“After receiving permission from the commissioner general, they will then be allowed entry into the facility. That is what they were advised on and they appreciated and left.

I am told that they were cooperative and were happy about the advice from the officer in charge,” claimed the PRO.
Khumalo said all inmates have a list of people they wish could visit them while doing time behind bars. He said officers also
refer to that list whenever a person was coming to visit that particular convict.

It was not for the first time unions and activists have been barred from visiting incarcerated people in the country’s prison facilities.
On January 22 at Sidwashini Correctional facility, unions were barred from visiting jailed Chief Government Vehicle Inspector Bhantshana Gwebu.
The unions who were turned back on the day were members of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers and the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union executive members.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: