Sicelo Mhlanga,a Swaziland News journalist reported on Friday afternoon that a disabled member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement(SWALIMO) Sibusiso Vilakati was shot by King Mswati police during the “justice for human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko” protest.
It later transpired that Sibusiso Vilakati was disabled and had been shot for the second time because he struggled to run away when Mswati’s police started opening fire.
Now, that the matter is on the public domain, Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Themba Masuku whose portfolio is responsible for the welfare of citizens living with disabilities must take action.
If the Deputy Prime Minister is failing to protect all citizens equally, only to emerge with press statements when police officers are killed, then he must know that the world including Swazis won’t take him seriously.
Political leadership suggests that you protect those who agree and those who disagree with you.
As usual,the violence planted by the police today will germinate and we won’t get tired of reminding the State security officers to stop being violent against citizens.
Once the killing of police officers intensifies,we will report again and remind them to stop being brutal against peaceful protestors.
We don’t regard Vilakati as a member of a political party but a Swazi whose rights must be protected in terms of the Constitution.
It is clear that the police shot him because he was wearing a SWALIMO t-shirt, the police have been killing PUDEMO members for wearing t-shirts belonging to their political organization.
As a Minister for people living with disabilities, we expect the DPM to take action and as mentioned, if he fails to do that, we won’t take him seriously.
If Masuku is a DPM for emabutfo,then why should we listen to him when he addresses the Nation?
Sibusiso Vilakati was shot.