By Zweli Martin Dlamini

LONHLUPHEKO: Thobile Matsebula, an agriculture employee at Mhlume(RSCC) Sugar Mill was brutally assaulted by King Mswati’s soldiers at Lonhlupheko, she was on her way to join a protest organized by TUCOSWA, a workers federation.

Speaking to this Swaziland News on Friday morning, Matsebula said the soldiers and the police stopped a bus they were traveling in, and grabbed her and other workers, they were then kidnapped and taken into a nearby bush that connects Lonhlupheko and Hlane Game Reserve.

“While inside the bush, they ordered us to lie-down, we were heavily assaulted”, she said.

The ongoing killing and torture of citizens including women and children has been condemned by various international and eSwatini human rights organizations.

Nonhlanhla Dlamini, the Executive Director of the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse(SWAGAA) said they would hold a meeting on Friday as the Human Rights Consortium to discuss such issues.

“As we speak, we are about to hold a  meeting as the Human Rights Consortium to discuss the ongoing violations of human rights against citizens including women. We strongly condemn what is happening to the people and we don’t understand why the government is doing this against the people”,said the SWAGAA Director.

Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

The unfortunate incident that manifested in the midst of the ongoing political unrest was confirmed by Mduduzi Gina, the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland(TUCOSWA) who further mentioned that they were still trying to locate some of the workers who were abducted by the soldiers into the bushes.

“The workers were from Mhlume and Simunye, their bus was stopped by the police at Lonhlupheko. The police then forced them into a nearby bush where they were then loaded into an army truck and driven deeper into the bushes. Before they were beaten, the soldiers grabbed their cellphones, they were then made to sing King Mswati’s praises saying “Bayethe” while being beaten and made to roll on the ground”, said the TUCOSWA Secretary General.

Eswatini is in the midst of a political unrest after King Mswati unleashed his forces to shoot and kill civilians merely for demanding democratic reforms.