The abduction of Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo merely for demanding a salary increment on behalf of junior police officers was one of the many cases confirming that, eSwatini is a dictatorship State where human including women’s rights are violated with impunity.
Before abducting the Secretary General of the Royal Eswatini Police Staff Association(REPOSA), the police stopped a meeting organized by eSwatini’s main and largest political party, the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) and another meeting organized by the junior cops to discuss issues affecting their welfare.
Despite the introduction of a constitutional order meant to safeguard fundamental human rights, it is now clear that,this country is ruled through the 1973 Decree King’s Proclamation, an undemocratic decree that banned political parties and suppressed human rights including the right to freedom of association.
In this country, citizens and/or workers are not allowed to freely hold meetings particularly to discuss matters that seek to hold those in power accountable even on labour issues.
This is a State of oppression, dictatorship and extrajudicial killings where citizens are killed with impunity merely for, holding different political views and holding those in power accountable.
Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo was abducted and we thank the Times journalists particularly senior journalist Mduduzi Magagula who consistently followed the police vehicle and updated the Nation otherwise, Sergeant Khumalo would have been found dead at Mhlambanyatsi forest.
Indeed, the Times played a huge role in this regard by consistently updating the Nation, we wish such reporting could continue because, media pluralism and diversity enhance the constitutional right to access to information so that, people could receive news from all angles.
It is our duty as the media to protect human rights and we may have some reservations about the conduct of the police but, we have a constitutional obligation to be the voice of those facing persecution and of course, without taking sides in our reporting.
But let me state categorically that, the ongoing crackdown against citizens who are being brutalized merely for demanding a salary increment demonstrates the position of the Tinkhundla regime towards those who question oppressive decisions in this country.
Police officers have been peacefully demanding their money but, the Executive Command is responding with violence or brutality.
Some of us who understand certain State brutality tactics were able to identify that, the abduction of Sergeant Khumalo was well-planned and, at the highest level.
As a result, a teargas canister was fired just to cause commotion and while everyone on the scene was shocked trying to understand what was happening, Sergeant Khumalo was grabbed and forced into the police van.
Such techniques have the the face of National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango, the former Head of the Operational Support Services Unit(OSSU) and, another intention was to then grab Sergeant Khumalo’s cellphone to investigate and go through the Police Union WhatsApp group and Khumalo’s communication with others, the Executive Command is eager to know all this.
Well,I am not sure if the State will successfully surpress the voices of the hungry junior police officers forever and as mentioned in my previous articles, some of these police officers are loyal to Mswati and the Tinkhundla system, they are just demanding their salary increment.
What National Commissioner Vusi Masango is doing is not right, brutalizing a representative of junior police officers who is genuinely demanding a salary increment.
National Commissioner Vusi Manoma Masango(pic: Gov).