JOHANNESBURG: Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) attended the 15th National Congress of the South African Communist Party(SACP) to lobby for international pressure against King Mswati’s illegitimate Government.
The PUDEMO President was accompanied by incarcerated Member of Parliament(MP) Bacede Mabuza’s brother Bheki Mabuza and Sicelo Mngomezulu, the lawyer representing the pro-democracy MPs.
Speaking to this Swaziland News on Thursday at the Birchwood Conference Centre, Boksburg, South Africa, the PUDEMO President said they had an opportunity to lobby other other political leaders ahead of the Extra-Ordinary SADC Summit on eSwatini crisis.
“We have used this opportunity to highlight, particularly, the plight of our persecuted Members of Parliament who have been languishing in prison for over a year now. The ANC is present here as you are aware that the President of the ANC and South Africa will be hosting the Troika on the 21st. We highlighted that they shouldn’t allow Mswati to continue to dribble and delay the issue of an all inclusive genuine dialogue with all the partners. But that dialogue can only take place obviously, after the unconditional release of the Members of Parliament and all other arrested political prisoners. The unconditional return of all exiles, the normalization of the situation which includes the return of the soldiers to the barracks, the freedom of political activists including political parties,those that are proscribed and those that are not proscribed,” he said.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
On another note, the PUDEMO President said they would again highlight the issue of eSwatini in the presence of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the SADC Troika Chairperson who would address the SACP Congress on Friday.
PUDEMO President, MP Bacede’s brother, lawyer attend SACP National Congress.