BREAK
THE CHAINS
Of
Swaziland’s
political prisoners!
Join
the campaign, add your voice, and get involved!
CAMPAIGN
FOR:
UNBANNING
OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES AND ORGANISATIONS
UNCONDITIONAL
RELEASE OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS AND DETAINEES
UNCONDITIONAL
AND SAFE RETURN OF ALL POLITICAL EXILES
JOIN
THE CAMPAIGN, ADD YOUR VOICE, AND GET INVOLVED!
The
Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) is building a broad-based campaign delinked
from any party political affiliation called BREAK THE CHAINS. The
aim is to demand the release of political prisoners/detainees in Swaziland. We
hope you will consider joining the campaign by contacting us (see below). BREAK
THE CHAINS welcomes individual supporters as well as organisations.
BREAK
THE CHAINS is a campaign for the; Unbanning of Political
Parties, Unconditional Release of Political Prisoners and detainees,
Unconditional and Safe Return of Exiles. There are currently five activists who
are being held without due process on trumped up charges.
They
are imprisoned because of their support for the freedom struggle in Swaziland,
Africa’s last absolute monarchy. We appeal to you to support BREAK THE CHAINS
by making your voice heard to demand the; unbanning of political parties,
release of the five activists and the return of exiles.
We are
also linking the campaign demands with an urgent call for the unbanning of
political parties and organisations in Swaziland and guarantees on the safe
return of political exiles. We must BREAK THE CHAINS of the five imprisoned
activists and BREAK THE CHAINS of the Swazi people!
Swaziland
faces a massive struggle to achieve democracy in the face of a vile and corrupt
regime, under king Mswati III, that presides over the mass poverty of the Swazi
people and their suffering the highest HIV-AIDS-TB rates in the world – all
this while the regime lives in gross luxury and wastes the country’s resources
on vanity projects for the royal elite.
BREAK
THE CHAINS to ensure the release of the following:
1. Amos
Mbedzi - A South African, member of the ANC, SACP, Umkhonto WeSizwe)
arrested in 2008, spend four years of incarceration, convicted with 2 counts of
murder for the death of his two comrades (Jack Govender and Musa Dlamini),
sedition and sentenced
in 2012 to 85 years in prison.
2. Zonke
Dlamini - SWAYOCO LEADER: arrested April 2010 sentenced
to 15 years imprisonment after being convicted
by the High Court of contravening Section 5 (1) of The Suppression of Terrorism
Act of 2008.
3. Mario
Masuku – PUDEMO President: Arrested May 2014. Charged
with sedition after addressing workers in a May Day Rally. Denied bail
and waiting trial.
4. Maxwell
Dlamini – SWAYOCO SECRETARY GENERAL: arrested and charged with
sedition on 12 April in 2011; released on bail, now on staggering trial.
Re-arrested 21 April 2013, remains incarcerated pending bail hearing. Re-arrested
May 2014, charged with sedition after leading a song in May Day Rally.
Denied bail and awaiting trial.
5. Musa
Ngubeni – FORMER STUDENT LEADER, SWAYOCO Member: arrested and charged
with sedition on 12 April 2011, released on bail now on staggering trial.
6. Mfanawenkhosi
Mtshali – CPS Central Committee member, PUDEMO member: Arrested
December 2005 and charged with sedition, released on R15 000 bail in March
2006, re-arrested 19 April 2013, released on R15 000 bail and is awaiting
trial.
7. Derrick
Nkambule – CPS leader on campaigns, PUDEMO member: Arrested 19 April
2013, released on R15 000 bail and is awaiting trial.
8. Rolland
Rudd – PUDEMO Member. Arrested 20 June 2012, charged with attempted
murder to a soldier on guard, denied bail and no trial date till today.
9. Basil
Twala – Trade Union leader at the Swaziland Transport and Allied
Workers Union (STAWU), arrested in 2013 charged with under the public order act
and convicted and sentenced to 2 years without an option of a fine for
organising a workers protest.
10. Wonder
Mkhonza – PUDEMO National Organiser; arrested 12 April 2013, charged
with sedition after found in possession of PUDEMO pamphlets. Released on
R15 000 bail and is awaiting trial.
11. Musa
Dube - CPS Deputy General Secretary; arrested September 2013 and
charged with sedition, out on R 15 000 bail and is awaiting trial.
12. Goodwill
Sibiya - CPS organiser, arrested November 2013. Out on R15 000.00 bail
after spending 7 months of incarceration. He is awaiting trial.
13. Bhantshana
Gwebu – a trade unionist at National Public Service and Allied Workers
Union (NAPSAWU), arrested January 2014 and charged with sedition in that he
impounded a government vehicle driving the Chief Justice for an unauthorised
trip. Out on bail pending trial outcome.
14. Thulani
R. Maseko – Human Rights Lawyer, arrested March 2014, charged with
contempt of court in that he wrote critical on the unlawful incarceration of
Bhantshana Gwebu. The Nation Magazine published his article. Released after 19
days of unlawful incarceration and regime appeals his released. Re –arrested
after a successful appeal by the Chief Justice. Sentenced to 2 years in jail
without an option of a fine.
15. Bheki
Makhubu – Editor of The Nation Magazine, arrested March 2014, charged
with contempt of court in that, he commented in his editorial column in the
Nation Magazine, critical to Mswati’s authoritarian judicial system in relation
to Gwebu’s unlawful incarceration. Released after 19 days of unlawful
incarceration and regime appeals his release. Re –arrested after a successful
appeal by the Chief Justice. Sentenced to 2 years in jail without an option of
a fine.
Support BREAK
THE CHAINS
We
urge you to:
- Send
demands to the Swazi government and the king calling for the immediate release
of ALL THE POLITICAL PRISONERS in Mswatis jail
- Raise
awareness on the issue of Swaziland’s political prisoners by spreading news of
the campaign for their release.
- Raise
the issue in your community, trade union branch, Church group, and among your
neighbours and friends.
If you
are outside Swaziland:
- Issue
calls to Swazi diplomatic missions for the unbanning of political parties,
release of political prisoners and return of exiles.
- Demand
the boycott of Swaziland by the government of the country in which you reside
until the demands are met.
- Get
your organisation / political party to join the campaign
CONTACT:
Dlamini
Njabulo
Break
the Chains Coordinator
Email: njabulowdlamini@gmail.com
Cell:
+268 76039844
Goodwill
DuPont
Deputy
Chairperson & Head of Campaigns CPS
Email: goodwilldpnt@gmail.com
Cell:
079 472 4508
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