MBABANE:Sivumelwano Nyembe,the Spokesperson of the Eswatini MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF) says, the organization has resolved to support the United Nations(UN) consistent call for an international, transparent and credible investigation into the assassination of lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko.
A questionnaire was sent to Alpheous Nxumalo,the Government Spokesperson,however,he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko,the Chairperson of the MSF,a coalition of pro-democracy groups in eSwatini was killed allegedly by King Mswati’s mercenaries, the Eswatini Government has been staggering in allowing international investigators to investigate the politically motivated assassination.
The human rights lawyer was killed at the time when he was corresponding with the Southern African Development Community(SADC) and other international organizations in facilitating an all inclusive political dialogue as part of peaceful means to resolve the political crisis.
The MSF held its Annual Meeting last weekend at Ermelo,Republic of Africa where the resolution was taken.
“The recently held MSF meeting at Emerlo is constitutional meeting whereby MSF membership come together to review the past year and make a plan for the following year. So it was basically a review and planning meeting. This meeting reflected on the assassination of the first Chairperson of the organization Comrade Thulani Maseko and the response of the State in investigating this assassination, and supported the call by the United Nations(UN) to force or demand that the government of Swaziland institute an international independent and transparent investigation on the assassination of Comrade Thulani Maseko. The meeting also made a very critical plan in moving foward the democratic revolution in Swaziland”, said the MSF Spokesperson when speaking to this Swaziland News on Monday morning.
Eswatini is ruled by Mswati as an absolute Monarch, political parties are banned from participating in elections and human rights defenders are killed for demanding democracy.
As a result of the persecution and the ongoing killing of human rights defenders, the MSF leadership opted to hold the Annual Meeting in the neighboring South Africa, security was contracted and provided by the leadership to ensure the safety of the political activists.
MSF leadership during the Annual Meeting.