MBABANE:Jan Sithole, the President of the Swaziland Democratic Party(SWADEPA) said the Political Parties Assembly(PPA) will appeal the recent judgment after the court dismissed their application to declare the search warrants used to raid their homes unlawful.
PPA leadership had taken the National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini to court challenging the legality of the warrants of arrest that empowered the police to raid their homes in December last year.
Applicants in the matter were Sibongile Mazibuko, the President of the Ngwane National Liberation Congress(NNLC), Wandile Dludlu, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO), SWADEPA President Jan Sithole and Musa Nkhambule, the Chairman of Sive Siyinqaba ‘Sibahle Sinje’ National Movement.
Speaking to this Swaziland News shortly after the court handed down the judgment, the SWADEPA President confirmed that the PPA advised their legal team to appeal the verdict.
“The PPA has advised the lawyer to appeal the judgment,” said the SWADEPA President.
Judge Nkosinathi Maseko concluded that “the Applicants have prematurely approached the High Court without exhausting local remedies in the Court a quo of applying to set aside the warrants and detention orders”.
As a result, the court dismissed with costs the urgent application by the PPA leadership. “The orders issued by the Court on the 24thDecember 2019 and on the 8thJanuary 2020 have lapsed owing to the finalization of this matter” read the court judgment.
High Court of Eswatini building