Swaziland: jailed President of PUDEMO on trial this week

Swaziland Solidarity Network
Tel: 011 339 3621/33 7th floor- SSN Office
Fax: 011 339 6880 COSATU House
e-mail: [email protected] Braamfontein

re: Urgent Press Alert on the beginning of PUDEMO President – Cde Mario Masuku’s 10-day marathon trial at the high court of Swaziland

The media is invited to an urgent press conference of the Swaziland Solidarity Network:

Date: 22nd January, 2002 (Tuesday)

Time: 11.00am

Venue: COSATU house – 7th floor, Braamfontein (Cnr Biccards and Leyds str)

The political landscape in Swaziland is daily changing due to the intensified brutality and terror of a desperate regime. This desperacy is met with the untiring resolve of the struggling masses of our country to meet fire with fire. This last week saw a huge turn out at a National Prayer service for the jailed President of PUDEMO – Cde Mario Masuku, just a few days before the beginning of the 10-days marathon trial in the capital city of Swaziland, Mbabane, which begins on the 24th January, 2002 (Thursday).

The Release Mario Masuku Campaign has gained massive popularity and has made great strides in the process of raising international and national awareness about the detained leader of the liberation movement of Swaziland. This is a historic trial in the sense that in the history of Swaziland it marks a strategic rubicon as our country is on the brink of political explosion, as the crisis of the ruling system deepens everyday.

The media is stage-controlled by the tinkhundla regime, particularly the royal family. This is also true of the judiciary, whose independence is non-existent, as judges are summoned to the royal residence for some “lectures” on the “Swazi way of carrying out justice”. The expulsion of journalists and their frequent arrests, has become compounded by the intensification of brutal laws made to silence the progressive sections of the media for the ultimate triumph of the royal praise-singers.

The Swazi regime has lost all sense of humanity, which has on several occassions been exposed in the way the refused access, to Kamkhweli-macetjeni burial grounds, for people anfd families who now live under state of terror in that place. Corpses have had to last for days and even months without being buried, even when the High court has ruled in favour of the families, Mswat always issued orders contrary to the high court rulings and insisting that only his will reigns supreme in Swaziland.

We are also aware of the deliberate neglect of the volatile situation of Swaziland and the unddue attention to Zimbabwe, probably because white commercial interests are at stake there, while in Swaziland legitimate political rights of the poor are at stake. The recent summit of SADC on conflict in the region proved whose interests dominate regional agenda, particularly as stage-set by the commercial media to protect democracy of the propertied as opposed to democracy of the poor.

To put this historical case into context, it must be emphasised that he is the only leader of a political movement currently in jail in the whole of Southern Africa at the moment. Even in Zimbabwe, where attention has been maximised, there is no leader currently in jail for his political beliefs. All these still fail to constitute a “violation of the rule of law and freedom of the press” as its champions always trumpet when convenient to them and the interests of those they serve. For them Swaziland is a democratic and human rights observing country, worth being part of the protectors of democcracy in the region.

Cde Mario first appeared for treasonable charges in 1990, when PUDEMO leadership was charged with Sedition and treason for “conspiring to overthrow the government of King Mswati”. He appeared as the first accussed, he appeared again during the crisis of Kamkhweli and Macetjeni in 2000. So he has gone through the trials and tribulations of history and has demonstrated unequaled willingness to sacrifice, including being forced out of a job, as his only source of livelihood for himself and his family.

Mswati has made a public declaration that he wants all who oppose him to feel the might of his wrath, when presenting his “royal circus constitution” to the public. He made it clear, with obvious reference to Cde Mario after PUDEMO Congress resolution that the President Cde Mario must lead the PUDEMO defiance Campaign to speed up the struggle and demonstrate the new resolve and determination of the Swazi people for intensified action. He reflected on the 1973 decree in which he said, “all legislative, executive and judicial power is now vested in me…… and the army and police have been posted to all strategic places to maintain law and order”.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network in pursuit of PUDEMO Secretary General – Cde IB Dlamini’s statement that, “Swaziland shall never be free until Cde Mario Masuku is free and Cde MARIO Masuku shall never be free until Swaziland is free”, has intensified its international campaign for the liberation of Cde Mario as part of the liberation of the entire Swazi nation, which has for decades suffered the worst forms of royal humiliation and dehumanisation in the name of culture and tradition.

We take this opportunity to invite all and everyone to the beginning of the case in Swaziland on the 24th January, 2002 at 9.00am at the High court of Swaziland in Mbabane. All who are interested in making representations to this case can arrange with our office at the above contacts for logistical arrangements and information.

For more information contact: Bongani Masuku - General Secretary (cell: 072 258 3600) or Dr Gabriel Mkhumane (Co-ordinator of the Campaign) at: 083 3744590

“Be capable of feeling deep within the suffering of other people anywhere in the world” - Che