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INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE AGAINST SENTENCE METED OUT AGAINST TWO ESWATINI FORMER MPS

 

A poster depicting the image of the former MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube (sourced online)


Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze

There has been outpouring of outrage targeted at the Government of Eswatini in the aftermath of the sentencing of the former MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube who were MPs for Hosea and Ngwempisi constituencies respectively. They were sentenced on Monday 15th July in Mbabane following their conviction on terrorism and other charges largely believed to be trumped.

The outrage was led by the Eswatini Embassy of the United States of America (USA)  where they categorically condemned the sentence of the two MPs. They expressed that they were, “deeply concerned by the sentencing of former MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube to 25 years and 18 years respectively”. The statement continued that ,”there has been widespread reporting that their detention are arbitrary ,based on groundless charges of murder and terrorism, and that they have were targeted for calling for calling for political and human rights reform in the country”.  

International NGO CIVICUS also weighed in with their statement imploring the Eswatini authorities to release the former MPs. They said, “We ask the Eswatini authorities to scrap the verdict and release them immediately. The government must (further) respect human rights and democracy”. Another NGC ,the Amnesty International followed the same path of calling for the release of the two former MPs. They said, “Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube to end this travesty of justice and blatant attempt to suppress peaceful dissent”, they further criticised legislation such as the Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) and the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA) and called for their repeal by the Eswatini authorities.

Another civil society organisation the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network (Southern Defenders) condemned the sentence which they characterised as politically motivated. They added that the sentence was a, ‘gross injustice amid calls for democratic reforms and it highlighted the monarchy’s oppressive tactics’.

International Trade Union organisations also add their voice to condemnation 

Trade Union bodies led by the Africa continental International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) office, the ITUC - Africa also condemned the sentence. They characterised the sentence to be, ‘undermining the African Union’s agenda 2063 which envisions an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law’. Meanwhile the South Africa’s Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) expressed their shock and outrage at what they called the persecution of the former MPs. COSATU went beyond the condemnation expressed by the others and called upon the South African government to suspend Southern African Customs Union (SACU) payments to Eswatini. Finally they called for the isolation of the Eswatini undemocratic regime.

The Eswatini government had issued a statement in response to the criticism from the USA embassy where they said that the two former MPs were tried in the High Court, convicted and sentenced in accordance with law of criminal procedure. They further said that, “The government of Eswatini has full confidence in the competence, independence and impartiality of the country’s judiciary at all levels of the courts hierarchy”.

 

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