Monday, 1 September 2014

Break The Chains Campaign; All the names of political prisoners included

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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