MBABANE: Amnesty International has released a statement refuting claims by eSwatini Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku who accused the international organization of paying Kenyans citizens to protest, demanding justice for assassinated highly regarded human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko.
“Amnesty International Kenya flatly refutes allegations that Amnesty paid Kenyans to protest against Eswatini. The brutal assassination of prominent human rights defender and respected lawyer Thulani Maseko has deeply disappointed and outraged many Kenyans and senior levels of our Government.
Rather than proposing further restrictions on NGOs and human rights defenders in Eswatini, we urge the Government of Eswatini to arrest his killers and bring them to a court of law.We reiterate our call and that of 50 other organisations and movements across East Africa last Monday for an urgent,thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation to take place completely independent of government.We pledge our solidarity with the family of comrade Thulani Maseko and the people of Eswatini,”reads the statement in part.
Speaking to Channel yemaSwati on Thursday,the DPM said as Government, they made a mistake by not enacting a law that would regulate Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
“Our mistake as a country is the absence of a policy or law that will regulate NGOs. There was a discussion before that NGOs receive money that they then use against the country. Amnesty International does not even have an office here and is not aware of the dynamics manifesting in the country.So,when Amnesty bribes people to turn against the country, it speaks to the non-regulation of NGOs, that’s why this NGO (Amnesty) is arrogant against us," said the eSwatini Deputy Prime Minister.
Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku.