The Communist Party of Swaziland demands an immediate release of two Journalists

The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) condemns what they refer to as the unjust imprisonment of Bheki Makhubu, the editor of The Nation magazine, and Thulani Maseko, Human Rights Lawyer and contributor to the same magazine.

Both self-proclaimed defenders and advocates of freedom of speech and an independent judiciary in Swaziland have been imprisoned for two years, and the CPS demands their immediate release.

“This is clearly a case of King Mswati III intervening in his usual manner to use the legal system as his personal sjambok. One has only to read the judgement, delivered 25 July by Justice Simelane, a greasy and obsequious Mswati sidekick in a gown and wig, to get a measure of how devoid of justice, objectivity and decency the Swazi legal system is,” said CPS General Secretary, Kenneth Kunene.

Kunene went on to say that the Nation Magazine has been a courageous publication by Makhubu and a few other independent minded journalists and analysts to expose the corruption, venality and dictatorial heart of the tinkhundla system.

“Makhubu and Maseko’s crime was to criticise the judiciary, and in particular the activity of Chief Justice, Michael Ramodibedi, a notorious Mswati henchman, who in 2011 instigated the firing of Justice Thomas Masuku for allegedly insulting the monarch.

If ever there was a corrupted and mercenary presence in the Swazi legal system, it is Ramodibedi, who was suspended last year for misconduct as head of the Appeal Court in his own country of Lesotho,” added the furious Kunene.

The alleged attack on some of the few remaining elements of press freedom with the imprisonment of Makhubu and Maseko is said to be a clear reminder to the international community that any talk of democratic reform being on the horizon in Swaziland is meaningless.

The CPS urges concerted action against the Mswati regime for this latest human rights violation.

“We urge the countries of SADC to condemn the Mswati regime for its violation of basic freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression. And we call for full support by the pro-democracy movement for Makhubu and Maseko, including material support for their families,” he concluded.