By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MATSAPHA: Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, the incarcerated pro-democracy Member of Parliament(MP) has revealed that a State propaganda machinery involving the two captured newspapers in eSwatini was all out to destroy his reputation.

This comes after the Times of eSwatini and the eSwatini Observer published a series of one-sided articles based on information sourced from prison officials, as usual, the newspapers did not make efforts to contact the MP, his family or legal representative to get his side of the story.

In eSwatini, pro-democracy MPs, political activists, human rights defenders and independent journalists who are critical of Mswati’s regime are scandalized by the State controlled media without any effort to seek their side of the story.

It has been disclosed that on Sunday, the incarcerated MP held a meeting with one of his legal representatives where he expressed serious concerns regarding the ongoing attacks on his reputation, he then ordered the lawyer to send his public statement to this Swaziland News so he could state his side of story.

“Firstly, I would like to make it public that I have been trying by all means not to discuss the enquiry about the cell phones which were found in my possession by the Prison Authorities mainly because I was told that it was an internal enquiry which will not involve neither the Courts, my legal team nor the public. It was unfortunate however when I read about it on the local Newspaper in different versions. I now feel the need to state my side of the story”, said the incarcerated MP.

The MP then confirmed that on the 10th December he was found with two (2) cellphones within the prison premises. 

“These cellphones belonged to me and I used them for three (3) purposes, mainly to communicate with my suppliers, my employees and my family, and the numbers on the cell phones were of the aforementioned people. I have never in any instance communicated with any official using these phones nor involved any Prison Official in obtaining these cell phones, but I did so in other means when I attended court. I would like to assure my family, my constituency, my colleagues and all emaSwati that the allegation that these cell phones were facilitated by a high ranking officer and that prison officials were given money by myself are not only false, but are politically motivated. I am not the first inmate to be found in possession of contraband, and I have accepted the consequences of my action. As I write this statement, I am not allowed to make calls using the prison telephone anymore, only one person may bring me food and I was removed from the cell I shared with Honorable Mthandeni Dube and two other inmates to an isolated single cell inside the maximum prison.I am further surprised and further disheartened to the amounts of money and time spent to an enquiry about the cell phones which were found in my possession, yet there is no enquiry put in place to investigate the deaths of over 60 Swazis, maiming and arrest of many Swazis since June 2021”, said the MP.

Phindile Lomakhosini Dlamini, the Commissioner General of the Correctional Services had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

MP Bacede further denied allegations suggesting that he had close relations with a wardress adding that since his arrest, he had been sharing a cell with MP Mthandeni Dube and two other inmates hence there was no way he could have had close relations with a wardress.