By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE:Washington Katema,the Executive Director of the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network(SAHRDN) has warned Eswatini amid threats directed to Tanele Maseko, the wife to assassinated human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko.

This comes after Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo threatened the widow for expressing herself after the assassination of her husband, lawyer Thulani Maseko was the Chairperson of the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF).

Tanele Maseko told diplomats and other human rights advocates during the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards held in London, the United Kingdom(UK) last month that, her husband was killed by a horrible dictator.

But in a public statement sent to this Swaziland News on Thursday evening,the Human Rights Defenders noted that, the lawyer was killed after Mswati threatening those calling for democratic reforms hence they did not take Alpheous Nxumalo’s statement lightly.

Political activists and human rights defenders are killed in eSwatini merely for demanding democracy, armed State police officers also invade homes to torture and harass political activists, human rights defenders and independent journalists’ family members.

“Earlier, in an interview the government’s spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo warned that Tanele’s “remarks” were treasonous. Southern Defenders would like to expressly show unwavering support for Tanele Maseko, our Deputy Chairperson and a human rights defender in her own right, who together with their children, were also victims of the traumatic events of January 21, 2022. She has and continues to selflessly stand for the human rights of not only Thulani, but others in the Kingdom who have been victims of arbitrary arrest, excessive use of force, harassment and intimidation for advocating for political reforms in Eswatini. Thulani was the Chairperson of The Multistakeholder Forum, a leading Human Rights Institution. Declared a prisoner of conscience, Maseko had endured countless unlawful arrests on trumped up charges linked to promoting, upholding and defending human rights of the people of Eswatini.Southern Defenders is deeply disappointed and highly concerned by the Statement’s insensitive and offensive tone, which is not expected of a Kingdom that should be invariably exemplary to its citizens, supportive of a grieving widow and her family and committed to rule of law and accountability, and ensuring that there is no place for extra-judicial killings in Eswatini. Justice for Thulani is long overdue, and the intimidation and smearing of his widow for seeking justice is unacceptable.While it is outrageous that Tanele is now being publicly threatened, it is not surprising given the Kingdom’s demonstrated intolerance of legitimate criticism and calls for political reforms.Barely 24 hours before Thulani Maseko was assassinated, King Mswati III had publicly declared that: “People should not shed tears and complain about mercenaries killing them. These people started the violence first”, reads the press statement in part.

The Human Rights Defenders further noted that in two weeks, it will be a year since the murder of Thulani. 

“Despite regional and international calls for an independent, thorough and expeditious investigation,the government of Eswatini has failed and or refused to facilitate the same. The perpetrators have not been held to account.Southern Defenders remains committed to the pursuit for justice for Thulani, his family and the people of Eswatini,and therefore; Demands a public retraction of the statement against Tanele Maseko and a full apology, recognizing her right to continue to call for justice and accountability for the murder of her husband, Thulani Maseko.Continues to demand an independent, thorough, transparent and swift investigation into Thulani Maseko’s murder.Demands that the Kingdom of Eswatini refrains from the insolent use of force, intimidation and threats against human rights defenders and other progressive voices, and that efforts be directed towards addressing the outstanding democratic grievances prevailing in a clearly restive society seeking reforms.Strongly appeals to the international community and other civil rights movements to join us in seeking collective condemnation of the actions against Tanele Maseko, and justice and accountability for Thulani Maseko”,said the Executive Director through the statement.