MBABANE:Convicted pro-democracy Member of Parliament(MP) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza’s release is dominating the agenda within the corridors of power after the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Working Group urged the Government to urgently release him and/or within six(6) months.
The United Nations Working Group investigates cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily or inconsistently with the international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or the international legal instruments accepted by the States concerned.
But the UN Working Group communicated the ruling or report to King Mswati’s Government on the 15th October 2025 after investigating the politically motivated conviction of MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube.
Subsequent and/or after receiving the directive, the King released MP Mthandeni Dube after tricking him through Justice Minister Prince Simelane to apologize while MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza is still behind bars at Matsapha Prison for politically motivated crimes he never committed.
Eswatini is an absolute Monarchy, the MPs were arrested merely for demanding democracy and subsequently charged with terrorism, murder and other fabricated politically motivated criminal charges.
Phindile Dlamini, the Commissioner General of the Correctional Services declined to comment about the meetings held to discuss the release of the pro-democracy MP.
The United Nations Working Group in it’s‘ruling’, gave the eSwatini Government six(6) months from the 15th October 2025 to release MP Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and with Dube already released, it remains to be seen how the Government will handle Mabuza’s issue as the UN Working Group made it clear in the ruling that, the matter will be escalated to higher structures of the United Nations should the eSwatini Government refuse to release the Members of Parliament within six(6) months from the date of the ruling.
But as previously reported by this Swaziland News, King Mswati’s son appointed MP Prince Lindani allegedly sent some current MPs to try and convince Mabuza to consider apologizing to the King and, be immediately released in what “appears to be a ‘mad rush’ to release him” before the UN Working Group escalates the matter.
“The Government is invited to inform the Working Group of any difficulties it may have encountered in implementing the recommendations made in the present opinion and whether further technical assistance is required, for example through a visit by the Working Group. The Working Group requests the source and the Government to provide the above-mentioned information within six months of the date of transmission of the present opinion. However, the Working Group reserves the right to take its own action in follow-up to the opinion if new concerns in relation to the case are brought to its attention. Such action would enable the Working Group to inform the Human Rights Council of progress made in implementing its recommendations, as well as of any failure to take action. The Working Group recalls that the Human Rights Council has encouraged all States to cooperate with the Working Group and has requested them to take account of its views and, where necessary, to take appropriate steps to remedy the situation of persons arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, and to inform the Working Group of the steps they have taken,” reads the UN Working Group ‘ruling’ in part.
Convicted pro-democracy MP Bacede Mabuza.