MBABANE: Women were stripped naked while being assaulted by over fifty(50) police officers from the Operational Support Services Unit(OSSU) during a protest on Wednesday.
It has been disclosed that Tibusiso Mdluli and Nontsetselelo Nkambule who are members of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO)were forced into a police truck merely for wearing PUDEMO t-shirts, stripped and dragged with their pants by the police who later dumped them at Mvutshini.
Reached for comments, Mlungisi Makhanya, the PUDEMO President who rushed to arrange medical treatment for the women confirmed that they were assaulted by the police.
“Their crime was to join protestors in Mbabane in support of incarcerated pro-democracy MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube while wearing PUDEMO t-shirts, they were assaulted and subsequently dumped at Mvutshini”, said the PUDEMO President.
Phindile Vilakati, the Police Spokesperson had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Speaking to this Swaziland News, Cebile Dlamini, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Rural Women Assembly(SRWA) condemned the conduct of the police who assaulted the women merely for wearing PUDEMO t-shirts adding that women had every right to participate in the struggle for democracy.
“Women have a right to participate in the struggle for freedom because they are struggling in life and no one is speaking for them, so they cannot just watch while others are fixing the country. It’s surprising that such a large number of male police officers can assault women. We will release a statement and condemn the conduct of the police,” said the Rural Women Assembly Secretary General.
King Mswati has intensified the crackdown on pro-democracy protestors after openly telling Swazis that eSwatini and everything within the country belonged to him as the King.
Nontethelelo Nkambule who was also assaulted by the police