MBABANE:King Mswati’s police officers fired teargas canisters and subsequently assaulted members of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) during a protest in the capital city of Mbabane on Wednesday.
The protestors were demanding drugs in public hospitals, nurses were among the casualties.
Eswatini is facing a health crisis amid a shortage of drugs in public hospitals and as a result, dozens of patients have died since the crisis erupted, while others are languishing in wards without any assistance from health workers.
Mphandlana Shongwe, a veteran member of PUDEMO was injured and subsequently abducted by the police for participating in the protest and subsequently released without charge.
PUDEMO is the largest political party, fighting for democracy in the Kingdom of eSwatini.
A questionnaire was sent to Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Police Spokesperson, however, she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments,Maxwell Dlamini, the PUDEMO Deputy Secretary General, confirmed that, their members were heavily assaulted during the protest.
“It’s true that our members were assaulted, they were part of the protest in demand for drugs in hospitals. Comrade Victim (Mphandlana) was abducted by the police, but they later released him”, said the PUDEMO Deputy Secretary General(DSG).
Nokthula Dlamini is the President of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland(TUCOSWA).
She told this Swaziland News that,the police officers fired teargas canisters just as they were about to reach the Ministry or Health Offices in Mbabane to deliver a petition.
"The police fired teargas canisters and assaulted, dozens were injured,” said the President of the Nurses Union.
King Mswati, an absolute Monarch who lives a lavish lifestyle amid the health crisis, has intensified a crackdown on protestors to silence dissent.
After unleashing soldiers and the police to shoot and kill dozens of civilians during the political unrest, he told the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that peace has been restored in eSwatini.
King Mswati’s police officers fire teargas, heavily assault PUDEMO members and nurses in a peaceful protest against shortage of drugs in public hospitals(pic: Times).