MBABANE: Colani Maseko, the President of the Swaziland National Union of Students(SNUS) who is critical of King Mswati and his regime says he has been informed of a plot to arrest him for urging University students to remove and destroy King Mswati’s pictures within all institutions of higher learning.
Speaking to this Swaziland News on Tuesday, the Students Union President who is influential among the youth said the police were preparing criminal charges against him but assured the youth that he was not intimidated by the plot to throw him behind bars.
“I am accused of destroying Mswati’s pictures including that of his mother and the Prime Minister who was never elected by the people, they want to charge me with serious crimes. The University was closed and the Administrators claimed a property belonging to the institution was destroyed, let me clarify that the property of the University was never destroyed, what was destroyed were pictures of a dictator. Lokwalinyatwa lapha titfombe temgcilati, letavele tehliswa tabulawa. As the Swaziland National Union of Students, we have always maintained that we don’t recognize Mswati as the King and leader of this country. We want a democratically elected leader hhayi umuntfu lesingamati kutsi ubuyaphi nekutsi ufike kanjani in power(meaning: We don’t want a person who was never elected by the people”, he said.
National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini told the State controlled media that police were preparing to arrest those who destroyed Mswati’s pictures.
On another note, Students Union President Colani Maseko urged the youth to be on high alert and intensify the “Mswati must fall” campaign even after his arrest.
“I am not saying the youth must protest and demand my release but they must intensify the struggle for democracy because the struggle is not about an individual but it’s about Swazis. That’s why once they arrest me, those who are left behind will continue to fight”, he said.
King Mswati rules eSwatini as an absolute Monarch, political parties are banned from participating in elections and anyone who opposes him and his Government is thrown behind bars.
On 25th July 2021, Mswati allegedly issued an order to arrest pro-democracy Members of Parliament(MPs) Bacede Mabuza, Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Magawugawu Simelane who are critical of his government.
MPs Mabuza and Dube are still behind bars while MP Simelane fled to exile and the Constitution was subsequently manipulated to remove him as an MP for allegedly missing several sittings in Parliament.
Students Union President Colani Maseko.