JOHANNESBURG:Swazi political parties led by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) on Thursday picketed at the Swazi embassy in Johannesburg to remember deceased freedom fighter Amos Mbedzi.
The political parties and human rights organizations that participated in the picket include the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO), the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) and the United Eswatini Diaspora (UED) among others.
Speaking during the event, Pius Vilakati, the Spokesperson of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) blamed the Tinkhundla regime for the death of the highly regarded freedom fighter.
“Amos Mbedzi was killed by Mswati and his Tinkhundla system, he was killed by capitalism, that is why they were able to secretly remove him from Swaziland to South Africa. Then you should ask yourself why a dictatorship State colluded with a democratic State in moving Amos Mbedzi between the two countries? Why did they agree to let Mswati release him so that he could die in South Africa?" said the CPS Spokesperson.
Amos Mbedzi, a South African born freedom fighter was sentenced to 85 years in prison by for allegedly attempting to assisinate King Mswati through the bombing of the Lozitha bridge. He died in June this year after he was secretly released to his home country by Mswati’s regime.
The United Eswatini Diaspora(UED) was part of the picket.