By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:The process of releasing convicted Member of Parliament(MP) Mthandeni Dube has allegedly commenced within His Majesty’s Correctional Services.

This Swaziland News journalist spoke at length with some members of the King’s Prerogative of Mercy Committee who confirmed that, a royal command has been issued to release convicted MP Mthandeni Dube but “what is left now, is the legal process leading to the release”.

Mthandeni Dube, through his royal emissary-Justice Minister Prince Simelane, recently asked for forgiveness and the King, who holds Executive powers to release any prisoner through the prerogative of mercy, has reportedly ordered his release.

“It has been confirmed that, Mthandeni Dube will be released but for now a process known as a Social Enquiry will commence. During this process, investigators from the Correctional Services will visit Mthandeni Dube’s place of residence to investigate if the people including the traditional authorities will welcome him. Even though the King has agreed that he must be released, the Social Enquiry is a procedure within the Correctional Services because he will be released together with over twenty(20) other prisoners. The Social Enquiry investigators will then submit a report to the King’s Prerogative of Mercy Committee”, said the senior Correctional Services Officer.

Efforts to reach Deputy Correctional Services Spokesperson Baphelele Kunene proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

On another note, the senior Correctional Services officer said, even after being released, Dube will continue to serve his sentence but, through social work.

“He might be ordered to do community work like maintaining Inkhundla building, doing grass cutting at a nearby Clinic for the duration of his sentence but difference being that, he will be sleeping at home as a ‘free’ man. The Social Enquiry is also meant to identify the places where he can just wake-up in the morning at home and do the community work. It shouldn’t be a place far away from home,” said the senior insider.

But even before Dube asked for forgiveness during the recent Correctional Services Day, this publication had already reported that, the MP “was considering apologizing to the King”.

Indeed, Dube apologized to the King and now, this Swaziland News “can exclusively report that, the King has agreed to release him and the process has already started”.