08 October 2001 The South African Communist Party (SACP) condemns yesterday's 3 hour detention of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO). They were detained by the Special Branch of the Swaziland police at the Ngwenya Border Post as they were returning from a SWAYOCO NEC meeting in South Africa. The detained comrades included Sandile Bhembe (SWAYOCO General Secretary) Alex Langwenya, Sicelo Motsa, Sidney Nyembe and Freddy Mokoena.
During this detention the Swazi police confiscated minutes of the SWAYOCO NEC and other documents of SWAYOCO and they were also informed that they might be charged with sedition.
Yesterday's detention follows the arrest and indefinite detention of Comrade Mario Masuku, the President of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), on Thursday last week (04 October). He is charged with high treason and will appear in court on 29 October 2001.
On September 9, the 5th General Congress of PUDEMO, held in Empangeni (South Africa) resolved that Masuku must no longer comply with the bail conditions imposed on his release in November 2000. He had been arrested and charged for speaking at a political rally calling for the democratisation of Swaziland. Under the bail conditions, Masuku is prohibited from participating in political activity and leaving Swaziland and is required to report daily to a nominated police station. For close to a year, Comrade Masuku has lived under these severe conditions and has been deprived of his right to have the charges heard by a court of law and thus effectively placing him under indefinite detention without trial.
On October 4 the police re-arrested Masuku for not reporting as required. The police have blocked all access to him and he is currently held in a secret police station. Even his family has no knowledge of his whereabouts. Our immediate concerns are for his safety and health, as Comrade Masuku requires daily medication for his diabetic condition. As a political prisoner he will be subject to torture and deprivation of basic human rights. Deaths in custody are common in Swaziland and are often covered up.
The SACP calls on the Swazi government to release Comrade Masuku and all other political prisoners in Swaziland. As the majority of the people of Swaziland demand, the Swaziland government must take meaningful steps for the democratisation of Swaziland. The SACP calls on the international community to condemn political arrests in Swaziland and to put pressure for the democratisation of Swaziland.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel - 011 339 3621
Cell - 082 886 3528
Email- sacp1@wn.apc.org