MBABANE:King Mswati is not in any way,involved in the poisoning of eSwatini main opposition leader Mlungisi Makhanya,the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO),his Spokesperson Percy Simelane told this publication on Tuesday evening.
The PUDEMO leader was rushed to a South African hospital in a critical condition after being poisoned inside his alternative residence in Pretoria last week Tuesday.
Subsequent to the poisoning,his political organization through Deputy President Wandile Dludlu blamed King Mswati and his regime saying,the influential political activist was hunted by the Tinkhundla Government and previously survived assassination attempts.
Political parties are banned in eSwatini and political activists, independent journalists and human rights defenders are arrested,tortured, forced to exile or even killed for criticizing the King and his Government.
Dludlu accused the Tinkhundla regime of taking advantage of self-confessed suspect Sifiso “Smallz” Mahlangu’s poverty situation and influenced him to poison the PUDEMO leader.
But Percy Simelane,the King’s Spokesperson,when asked by this Swaziland News to respond to the accusations directed to the King,vigorously denied these allegations saying the prime suspect publicly confessed why PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya was poisoned.
“We believe no one can clarify the poisoning of PUDEMO President,Mr Mlungisi Makhanya better than witness number one,who happens to be suspect number one.Not even the survivor knows better about the incident than the prime suspect who has already submitted,for public consumption what he did to Mr Makhanya and why.No where does he mention the involvement of anyone beside himself.We will continue to believe what witness number one/prime suspect says and view the witch hunt as a desperate poor attempt to shift focus,” said the King’s Spokesperson.
The poisoning of the PUDEMO President attracted the attention of the international community, Solly Mapaila, the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party(SACP) urged the South African police to ensure that the suspect “is arrested urgently”.
Makhanya is recovering in a South African hospital,his political organization confirmed through a press statement sent to this publication this week.
King Mswati.