NEWS ALERT: PUDEMO DEPUTY PRESIDENT SIKHUMBUZO PHAKATHI ARRESTED

NEWS ALERT: PUDEMO DEPUTY PRESIDENT SIKHUMBUZO PHAKATHI ARRESTED

All the visiting worker leaders have been deported save only for Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, the Deputy President of PUDEMO and also International Secretary for CCEPPWU. Information we are gathering is to the effect that upon reaching the border, Phakathi was not allowed to cross over into South Africa but was held up by the police under intense interrogation. We also gathered that the other worker leaders from COSATU were deported through the Lavumisa/Golel border post (northern KZN) but their whereabouts cannot be confirmed, at least for now.

In the meantime, our Deputy President's exact whereabouts are unknown and his safety with the local police cannot be guaranteed as witnessed.

Contact:

Head of Publicity

+268 76073453

Manzini

DETAINED WORKER LEADERS DEPORTED

DETAINED WORKER LEADERS DEPORTED

As previously reported,all the detained workers have been released from police detention in Manzini Swaziland.

However, all the detained visiting worker leaders from South Africa have been deported. They were all driven in police cars to the border. Their mission of providing solidarity with the struggling masses of Swaziland has been derailed. However, the protest action planned for Tuesday and Wednesday is still on.

Contacts

Head of Publicity

+268 76073453

Manzini

COSATU condemns Swazi arrests

COSATU condemns Swazi arrests

The Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns in the strongest possible terms the arrest today, 6 September 2010, of members of the Swaziland trade union movement (SFTU), Swaziland Federation of Labour (SFL) and Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), together with COSATU members who are in Swaziland preparing for tomorrow's pro-democracy demonstrations.

We demand their immediate and unconditional release by the Swazi regime, which is once again displaying is brutal opposition to any democratic opposition.

Tomorrow is the Global day of Action on Swaziland and several build-up activities had been scheduled by Swaziland Democracy Campaign (SDC), the Coordinators of the Global action which were highly successful and massively attended to by workers, communities and international patriots.

Amongst those detained are:

Ø Fundizwi Sifundza, SFTU National Organiser,

Ø Steve Faulkner, SDC South Africa Convenor and SAMWU International Officer,

Ø Mary Da Silva, SDC Swaziland Co-ordinator,

Ø Zanele Matebula, and COSATU Deputy International Secretary,

Ø Sikelela Dlamini, SDC Swaziland Secretary and SDC South Africa member

Ø George Mahlangu, COSATU National Campaigns Coordinator,

Ø Christine Olivier, NUMSA Deputy President,

Ø Ntokozo Mbhele, SDC South Africa Secretary,

Ø Muzi Masuku, OSISA Swaziland Programme Manager,

Ø Frank Mncina, SATU General Secretary (Swaziland)

Ø and several others whose whereabouts are not yet accounted for.

For more details contact:

§ Nomthandazo Sikiti, SDC South Africa, +27 82 455 2303

§ Dumezweni Dlamini on +268 7604 6200

§ Zakhele Mabuza on +268 7607 3453

§ Philani Ndebele on + 27 76 942 3565 phil...@asc.org.za

POLICE DETAIN WORKER LEADERS IN MANZINI SWAZILAND

POLICE DETAIN WORKER LEADERS IN MANZINI SWAZILAND

As expected, members of the Swaziland Royal Police have swooped on an innocent meeting of workers in Manzini and ordered the meeting to stop. It was a preparatory meeting for tomorrow’s protest action. After much reasoning from leaders of workers, the police instructed everyone present must go to the Regional Police Headquarters for questioning. It was a huge battalion that was heavily armed.

Participants in meeting were then forcefully marshaled and some manhandled as they were loaded into the police van and a huge truck. Participants included workers leaders locally, civic society and internationalguests. Some of those detained are:

1. Musa Hlophe – Swaziland Coalition of the Concerned Civic Society.

2. Muzi Masuku – OSISA Country Manager

3. Vincent Ncongwane _ Secretary General of Swaziland Federation of Labour

4. Sikelela Dlamini - Swaziland Democracy Campeign

5. Phumelela Dlamini – Swaziland Democracy Campaign

6. Mary da Silva – Swazxiland Democracy Campaign

7. Mpandlana Shongwe – Swaziland Democracy Campaign

8. Wandile Dludlu – SWAYOCO President.

9. Zanele - Deputy Secretary International Affairs COSATU

10. George Mahlangu – COSATU

11. NUMSA National President

12. Ntokozo Mbele – SDC South Africa Chapter

13. Steve - SDC South Africa and International Relations Officer Municipal Workers Union.

14. Sikhumbuzo Phakathi – CCEPPWU/Deputy President of PUDEMO

15. Muzi Mhlanga – General Secretary Swaziland National Association of Teachers.

16. Sibusiso Lushaba – General Secretary Swaziland National Association of Nurses

Apart from these, many other members of the trade union movement in Swaziland were detained including two journalists from the local media who were covering the even.

This act has clearly shown to everyone and those who have been doubting the state of human rights abuse in Swaziland. This must be strongly condemned by all democracy loving people of the world and demand the quick and unconditional democratization of the country. This comes at the backdrop of many repressive actions from the state against the poor masseswho on a daily basis are demanding multiparty democracy in SWaziland.

Currently, the detainees are still in police custody at the Manzini Regional Headqurters. They are estimated to be in excess of 30 in number.

Contacts

Head of Publicity

+268 76073453

Manzini

PUDEMO PRESIDENT TO RECEIVE DEMOCRACY AWARD

PUDEMO PRESIDENT TO RECEIVE DEMOCRACY AWARD

Following that the President (Mario Masuku) of The Peoples United Democratic Movement was awarded a democracy award earlier this year in Denmark for his contribution to the general struggle for democracy in Swaziland, the award will be handed over to him in person. A representative of the friends of the poor and struggling masses of Swaziland coming from Denmark shall perform the honorable task of handing over this award. This is not an award for the PUDEMO President, but for all the struggling masses of Swaziland.

Everyone is therefore, invited to attend this historic event. Such include:

· Trade unions

· The church and civic society

· Community based organizations

· The informal sector

· Political organizations

· The media

The activity shall take place on Monday 6^th September 2010 in Manzini at 1800 hours.

Contacts

Head of Publicity

Zakhele Mabuza +268 76073453

Manzini

Raid of Mario Masuku's house and Arrest of Thokozani Dlamini

PUDEMO STATEMENT ON THE RECENT RAID OF OUR PRESIDENT AND THE ARREST OF OUR YOUTH LEAGUE MEMBER

Friends and compatriots we report today that our President, Mario Masuku, was this morning raided by police officers and most of his documents confiscated. This comes in the wake of reports that the police have been on a clampdown on our members, engaging in wanton arrests and harassment of our youth league members in particular. This subsequently led to the arrest of Thokozani Dlamini of Ekwendzeni.

Dlamini was detained for the entire week and secretly hauled at the High court where he was officially charged with Terrorism and remanded into custody. Efforts by our youth league to have him see a lawyer was thwarted by the police. Nothing new there.

Our President, on the other hand, was woken up by armed to the teeth police officers who turned everything up and down at his homestead in Mbabane. He was subjected to the most harrowing experience of his life; intimidation, harassment and being ridiculed in front of his family. We note with great concern that this happens to a country that is fast degenerating to a state of emergency and police state. This happens while the head of state was wining and dinning with democratically elected heads of state during the official opening of the World Cup in South Africa.

Our President is a known enemy of the state having been arrested and charged with everything from High Treason to Sedition and now Terrorism. In all these instances he has come out victorious, something that seemingly has not gone down well with Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini who is toying around with the idea of reviving the non bailable offences Law.

Against all evidence of a country in crisis, SADC has remained quiet while stroking the ego of the monarchy by turning a blind eye to these atrocities.

We are again alarmed that the pseudo political party and state collaborationist Sibahle Sinje, is now on the media, calling for everyone to condemn violence while parachuted themselves as standing on the moral high ground. We can’t believe it is Sibahle Sinje saying this. We can’t help but ask ourselves; where was Sibahle Sinje when we were unfairly proscribed as a terrorist entity? What did they say? What did they say when unionist and patriot Sipho Jele died? We heard nothing from them when Workers day was disturbed by police officers. Their silence is too loud when Swaziland Democracy Campaign leaders are harassed and abused by police for merely being democracy activists. It therefore came as a surprise to us when they woke up from their slumber to demand that the whole world must run like headless chickens simply because the ‘master’ has spoken. Sibahle Sinje would best be advised to continue collaborating in the plundering of the economy and their soft reprimand of the regime while we, together with the democracy loving masses, continue our peaceful struggle for democracy in our life time.

As PUDEMO we are unequivocal in condemning violence and have openly challenged the regime to the round table for negotiations. For this we have been labelled terrorists, beaten, maimed, dehumanised, forced into exile and sanctioned economically in our own country. Our genuine commitment to peaceful struggle and none violence has been met by brutal force and harassment. When ordinary people of Swaziland decide to give the regime a taste of their own medicine (violence) organisations like Sibahle, who have a history of standing on the side of the oppressor, scream blue murder. We view this as hypocrisy of the worse order. Right now the regime plants its agents to bomb people’s homes so that they can marshal public sympathy in their escapades to harass, torture and induce fear to the masses. This is done so that they can set the right environment for a final onslaught on our members. It is hoped that this would justify the state labelling us terrorists. But the regime had not prepared enough for what was to happen after the bombing of comrade Alex LaNgwenya’s house at Bhunya­—public opinion turned and people began to see a dangerous regime on a rampage. We are encouraged that the people see these latest bombings for what they are; a state creation to induce fear, a pivotal weapon in their quest to throttle us all into submission. But the Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini should know by now that PUDEMO will never die because the people are PUDEMO and PUDEMO is the people. Our ideology lives and our membership is swelling. We will continue to call for dialogue while encouraging the international community, particularly the South African government to do more to foster dialogue in the country. We have demonstrated in the past our willingness to engage this regime and create a real democratic society but our willingness to create a stable, peaceful and democratic Swaziland has been shown the middle finger by the regime. We advise the Prime Minister that no amount of draconian legislation and reviving of the non bailable offenses law will stop the people of Swaziland from attaining their long desired freedom. We also would like to say that our youth league member who has been arrested and charged with Terrorism is innocent until proven guilty. He is a victim of the police’s fertile imagination and we know the general public does not at all believe that PUDEMO or its youth wing has anything to do with these bombings.

Contact

Zakhele Mabuza

+268 7607 3453

PUDEMO Members Harrassed:

A Five Day Record

Members of PUDEMO continue to receive harassment from the Swaziland Tinkhundla regime. In the space of five days atrocities have been visited on our members including:

• the mysterious bombing of Alex Langwenya's house.
• the raiding of Mphandlana Shongwe's house.
• the raiding of several homes of PUDEMO Youth League members in Manzini.
• the raiding of PUDEMO National Organizing Secretary Jabulani Dlamini's house on Friday morning.
• the detention of three members of PUDEMO Youth League in Hlatikulu on Friday morning. Two of them have been released while one, namely Zonke Dlamini remains in detention. Reports are that the comrades were severely tortured by the police. Zonke remains in the cells enduring the torture being visited on him by the police and we fear a repeat of what befell the late Sipho Jele might be witnessed for no one is allowed access to him and he is neither afforded medical attention.
• the raid on the home of the former PUDEMO National Organizing Secretary, Armstrong Robinson in his absence.

We suspect there might be more of such unreported atrocities and abuse of human rights on the members of PUDEMO meted out by the state's security agents countrywide. And more are still to come! After all the campaign was declared in 2008 and this week, the Prime Minister reiterated the state's commitment to carryout this deadly campaign on democracy activists in Swaziland and instill fear on anyone who dares think of publicly criticizing the status quo.

Contacts

Head of Publicity

Zakhele Mabuza +268 7607 3453

Manzini