By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Sicelo Mngomezulu, the lawyer representing incarcerated pro-democracy Members of Parliament(MPs) Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube has been banned from entering the Kingdom of eSwatini.

Mngomezulu has been banned by King Mswati who communicated the decision through his sister Princess Lindiwe, the Minister of Home Affairs.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3(d)of the Immigration Act,1982, the Minister of Home Affairs issues the following Notice; This notice may be cited as the Declaration of a prohibited Immigrant Notice, 2022.This notice shall come into force on the date of publication in the gazette. Declaration of a prohibited Immigrant. Mr Celimpilo Hlabeyakhe Sicelo Mngomezulu, a National of the Republic of South Africa, born on 11th July 1979 and bearer of the Republic of South Africa Passport No M00227027, is declared an undesirable and prohibited immigrant of the Kingdom of Eswatini ”, reads the Legal Notice released by the King through his Home Affairs Minister.

A questionnaire was sent to Princess Lindiwe, the Minister of Home Affairs, however, she had not responded to our questions at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments on Thursday afternoon, Sicelo Mngomezulu, the lawyer representing the incarcerated pro-democracy MPs said he noted what he described as a silly stunt by King Mswati’s discredited Government.

“I’ve noted this silly stunt by Mswati's discredited Government. No one will separate me from Swaziland, my motherland. This Gazette constitutes an attack on the rule of law and my clients’ right to a fair trial. SADC and the international community now has all the evidence it needs to see how brutal Mswati's regime is.It is not been enough to unlawfully incarcerate my clients, the regime also doesn't want them to be competently represented.Nevertheless,I will not relent,I'll continue my lawful activism until Swaziland is freed from Mswati's despotic misrule. Kukini Maswati, sisonkhe. Aluta Continua,” said the lawyer.