MBABANE:Judge Mumcy Dlamini says,the convicted eSwatini pro-democracy Members of Parliament(MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube deserve to die through a death penalty.
The Judge uttered these sentiments when delivering a life imprisonment sentence this week and, the MPs who were convicted on terrorism,sedition and murder among other politically motivated criminal charges, were arrested as per an order allegedly issued by King Mswati,merely for demanding democratic reforms.
Mswati rules eSwatini as an absolute Monarch with Executive, Judicial and Legislative powers, his word automatically becomes the law and his order or directive,supersedes a court order.
But various pro-democracy groups, trade unions and human rights organizations inside and outside eSwatini including the Embassy of the United States(US) condemned the life imprisonment sentence against the eSwatini MPs,who were targeted by the King and his Tinkhundla regime for challenging those in power.
Bongani Masuku,the International Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions(COSATU) released a statement this week,on behalf of the labour organization,calling for sanctions against eSwatini amid human rights violations,COSATU strongly condemned the life imprisonment against the eSwatini pro-democracy MPs.
In the statement,the South Africa influential labour organization further touched on the killing of human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko who was assassinated representing the now convicted MPs.
The human rights lawyer was killed on the 21st January 2023 amid a crackdown on pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders and,a few hours after King Mswati threatened those calling for democracy saying his mercenaries will deal with them.
“COSATU fully supports the call on the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the June 2021 killings.This includes an independent investigation into the cold-blooded murder of human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko. COSATU also calls on the South African government to suspend the Southern African Customs Union economic windfall, which is subsidising the opulent lifestyle of the Eswatini royal family and not benefitting the people.Finally,COSATU calls on the international trade union movement and all democracy loving people of the world, including and particularly on the African continent, to stand up and actively be part of the mobilisation for the isolation of the undemocratic regime of Mswati towards a new and democratic society,based on the will of eMaswati”, reads the statement in part.
On another note,Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo released a statement on Tuesday,saying the MPs were convicted fairly,he was responding to concerns raised by the United States Embassy regarding the questionable independence of the justice system in eSwatini.
Judges in eSwatini are not independent but take orders from the King, a few of the Judges who previously demonstrated independence when handling cases were subsequently isolated and systematically sidelined from handling such politically motivated criminal cases.
“The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini takes this opportunity to respond to the statement issued by the Embassy of the United States of America in reaction to the conviction and sentencing of Mr. Mduduzi Mabuza and Mr. Mthandeni Dube.In exercise of their criminal investigation powers,the Royal Eswatini Police Service investigated the civil unrest of 28 June 2021 and the aftermath.Based upon the findings from the police investigations, Mabuza and Dube, besides many others,were charged with contravening the criminal law of Eswatini.Over the years,the accused have been tried in the High Court, convicted and sentenced in accordance with our law of criminal procedure”,reads the statement in part.
Eswatini is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute Monarch, political parties are banned from participating in elections while human rights defenders,political activists,independent journalists and pro-democracy MPs are arrested,tortured or even killed for demanding democracy or criticizing the Government and the King.
Judge Mumcy Dlamini.