By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE: Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of Eswatini’s main and largest political party, the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) says, King Mswati threatened those calling for democracy with mercenaries before the assassination of human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko.

Addressing the Nation last week when delivering the organization’s End of Year-New Year statement, the PUDEMO President further highlighted the killing of freedom fighters Mlandvo Khumalo, Muzi Mmema of the Swazis First Democratic Front(SFDF) by the cruel and brutal King’s Tinkhundla regime.

“PUDEMO would like to salute the people of our country for staying resilient in a very tough and traumatic year.Our collective national strength helped us to overcome adversity and we will need unity of purpose to prevail in the coming year – 2024.We ended last year, 2022,with the autocratic regime killing Comrade Muzi Mmema of the Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF).We began the ending year, 2023, with the fatal shooting of Cde Mlandvo Khumalo, soldiers killing Mr. Amon Mavimbela, and the cold-blooded assassination of our beloved former Secretary General and Multi Stake-holder Forum (MSF) Chairperson, Cde Thulani Rudolf Maseko.The murders of these patriots followed a brazen public declaration of war by the autocratic monarchy and its security establishment.Cde Thulani Maseko was assassinated after,as MSF Chairperson, he had shortly launched the MSF Anti-Elections Campaign at Cde Muzi Mmema’s funeral.Cde Thulani promised the residents of Ntontozi that he would come back to educate them in detail on the reasons for the call of the Tinkhundla elections’ boycott. Fearful of the impact of such countrywide anti-election’s civic education campaign,the government came out to confirm that it had hired military experts.This enlisting of mercenaries’ services,led by one Arno Pennar, was followed by the King issuing a threat directed at those fighting for change a few days later on the 21st January 2023.Cde Thulani Maseko was assassinated hours after the King’s threat”, said the PUDEMO President.