By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MATSAPHA: The Matsapha Maximum Prison where political activists including pro-democracy Members of Parliament(MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube are kept, has been re-branded implying transformation but, warders continue to assault inmates.

This is the same prison where some activists, including alleged Commander of the Solidarity Forces Thabo Kunene are kept on solitary confinement, the prison is now known as  the “Matsapha Correctional Complex”.

Worth-noting, within in the same Matsapha Prison,freedom fighter and member of the South African Communist Party(SACP) Amos Mbedzi was heavily assaulted and denied medical care, he subsequently died of stroke after the warders placed him on solitary confinement.

The two(2) Members of Parliament(MPs) who were arrested for demanding democracy were recently rushed to Manzini Clinic, after being assaulted by the warders,prison authorities later claimed minimum force was used.

A questionnaire was sent to Phindile Dlamini, the Commissioner General of His Majesty’s Correctional Services, however, she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments, Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said, the re-branding was meant to pool the wool in the eyes of the international community, as the institution was never transformed from prisons to correctional facilities.

“What obtains in Swaziland is that the internationally discredited prison method of managing inmates and convicts is very much applied in Swaziland.Just to give but one example, the rights of inmates including those who are still awaiting trial,are violated daily in the current arrangement in Swaziland’s prisons. I don’t even want to mention the rights of convicts because there, it is even worse. The correctional system and the transition of prison to correctional institution,was an internationally agreed transition and Swaziland signed to be one of  those countries who were going to embark on that transition. But, all they done is nothing except pooling the wool on the eyes of the world,by just changing the name from Prison to Correctional Centres. The content of what obtains there is still very much that of a prison. Inmates are assaulted by warders without any recourse, inmates rights to make contact with their loved ones are violated. But even most annoying, visitation by the loved ones is a privilege as opposed to a right that should be accorded any inmate,” said the PUDEMO President.