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1. Mario arrested— for terrorism acts
November 16. 2008, The Times, Swaziland

2. SWAZI KING’S WAR AGAINST HIS PEOPLE
From Swazi Media Commentary 16 November 2008

3. SSN PRESS STATEMENT. 16th November, 2008

-----------------------

1. Mario arrested— for terrorism acts

Nov 16,2008 00:00 by SABELO MASIMULA

*MBABANE—A day after government announced that banned political parties
are terrorists, People's United Democratic Movement's (pude-mo)
President Mario Masuku was arrested and charged for contravening of
section 5 (2) of Act 3 of Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008.*

According to this act, the PUDEMO president has been found in unlawful
possession of literature on weapon-making, including; books, manuals,
documents, pamphlets, drawings, diagrams, electronic storage devices and
tapes, which is against the country's terrorism bill.

*Raid*

Masuku's arrest and charge comes after a raid by country's police
investigation task team yesterday.

This comes after the Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini listed the PUDEMO,
Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Umbane and the Swaziland Solidarity
Network (SSN) as terrorists, under the Suppression of Terrorism Act,
2008 on Friday.

The government said it was satisfied that there was material to support
a recommendation under this section when announcing the ban.

This act literally banned the four political parties for life and
suggested that its members were not wanted in the country.
/"Tingaphindzi tilubhadze lakaNgwane,"/ the Prime Minister said on Friday.

Subsequent to this, PUDEMO president Masuku was arrested yesterday
morning, after his house had been searched. It could not be ascertained
what the police were searching for or what their findings were as this
newspaper was denied entry into Masuku's home during the raid.

When Senior Superintended Mike Zwane was approached for comment he
confirmed the raid and said there were some findings made which led to
the arrest, but he could not divulge the details.

He could not even state what Masuku was charged of. "We did the search
at Masuku's home but I can't tell you what our findings were and the
name of the charge against Masuku. You will have to attend the court
proceedings to get further details regarding this matter," he said.

However, the Mbabane Police station the police were able to disclose
Masuku's charge, without any qualms.

When Mario Masuku was called at 11: 30 am he could only confirm the raid
and that he had been charged.

"There was a raid but I can't tell you now what happened. I am at the
Mbabane police station and I have been charged, but I can't tell you
everything about my charge," he stated.

*Thulani Maseko, Shilubane fight to see client*

*MBABANE— Despite recently parting ways,both Paul Shilubane and Thulani
Maseko were seen together at the Mbabane Police station yesterday—united
by the arrest of Mario Masuku.***

When the two arrived at the police station they declared that they were
Masuku's lawyers and they wanted to see him. The police at the reception
did not easily grant them their wish as they said they had been given
strict instructions to the effect that no one was allowed to see Masuku
in private.

*Demanded*

The two lawyers heard none of what the police were saying, as they
literally demanded to see Masuku.

"We understand your instructions, but we are Masuku's lawyers and we
would like to see him in private. Call whosoever gave you those
instructions and tell him/her that Masuku's lawyers are here and they
would like to see him," said Shilubane.

The police later obliged as one officer was seen exiting to another room
where she made the call to her instructor. She came back and gave the
two a response to the effect that they could see Masuku at a corner
inside the reception.

The corner was in full view of everyone inside.

Shilubane and Maseko rubbished this arrangement.

"Are we allowed to see our client or not," asked Shilubane.

"You are, but this is the least we can afford," answered the police.

The verbal confrontation went on for about 20 minutes with no ending.

When the TIMES SUNDAY team left the lawyers were still negotiating to
see their client in private.

Maseko, when called later, would not comment much on Masuku's arrest.

"We were at the police station to check on Masuku as our friend. I can't
give you my or our comment regarding his charge, as that will be
pre-empting everything. For now we will let the law take its course. You
will all see the events regarding Masuku's case as it unfolds," said
Maseko.

*Family braces for life of harassment*

*MBABANE—The Masuku family says Mario's arrest is an effort to deter the
public from engaging in progressive thinking.***

The family, speaking through Masuku's son Mzwandile, disclosed that they
supported the cause of their father till the end.

"We know the cause that our father has dedicated his life to and we
support him all the way. We will never accept that he is a terrorist or
all the other comrades in the struggle. For us it's no longer an
incident, we anticipated such. It's just that we did not know when it
would unfold," said Mzwandile.

"We are very assured that our father is fighting a good cause, which is
liberating the people of Swaziland. All the hardship he is facing, we
believe is part and parcel of his good cause, but we can't run away from
the fact that it's hard and painful sometimes," continued Mzwandile.

The family also revealed that raids where police are armed to the teeth
are always an occurrence during the Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini's
term of office.

"In his last term we were inundated with raids which ended with our
father being taken away. We never had such during Absalom's (A.T)
tenure. We reckon this will be life from now onwards," lamented Mzwandile.

2. From Swazi Media Commentary 16 November 2008 www.swazimedia.blogspot.com)

The first prisoner has been taken in Swaziland King Mswati III’s war
against his own people.

Mario Masuku, the president of the People’s United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO), was arrested yesterday on terrorism charges after Swazi police
raided his home.

Masuku was taken to Mbabane police station, where his lawyers were
refused permission to speak to him in private.

The arrest came two days after Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini
announced that PUDEMO and three other ‘political’ organisations were
‘terrorist’ organisations.

According to the Times Sunday today (16 November 2008) Masuku had been
arrested under section 5 (2) of Act 3 of Suppression of Terrorism Act of
2008, which deals with the unlawful possession of literature on
weapon-making, including ‘books, manuals, documents, pamphlets,
drawings, diagrams, electronic storage devices and tapes’.

Details of the arrest are confused. The Times Sunday was unable to
discover what the police were searching for or what (if anything) they
found as the newspaper was denied entry into Masuku’s home during the raid.

Two lawyers who went to Mbabane police station to see Masuku were denied
access to him by police officers.

The Times Sunday also reported that the Masuku family said Mario’s
arrest was ‘an effort to deter the public from engaging in progressive
thinking’.

The newspaper reported Masuku’s son Mzwandile saying, ‘We know the cause
that our father has dedicated his life to and we support him all the
way. We will never accept that he is a terrorist or all the other
comrades in the struggle.’

Mzwandile added, ‘We are very assured that our father is fighting a good
cause, which is liberating the people of Swaziland. All the hardship he
is facing, we believe is part and parcel of his good cause, but we can’t
run away from the fact that it’s hard and painful sometimes.’

Link
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-victim-in-swazi-kings-war.html

3. SSN PRESS STATEMENT 16th November, 2008

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) has learnt with dismay about the
sudden increase in political repression in Swaziland. On Friday the 14th
November, 2008, Mswati's undemocratic regime criminalised political
opposition by "banning" legitimate progressive formations and branding
them "as enemies of peace, stability, security and national progress,
whose sole aim was to plant seeds of division, fear and strife in the
Swazi nation" The organisations are The People's United Democratic
Movement [PUDEMO], Swaziland Youth Congress [SWAYOCO], Swaziland
Solidarity Network [SSN], UMBANE. The irony of this banning is that
political parties were banned in 1973 in Swaziland. What the latest
decree does is essentially to CRIMINALISE progressive political parties
in Swaziland.

The illegitimate Swazi government has since demanded that Swazis should
resign from these organisations with immediate effect. The banning even
goes further, by criminalising "any person found to be abetting, aiding,
sympathising with, sheltering and giving any logistical support to these
organisations." This means that any PUDEMO sympathiser is now a criminal.

Yesterday the 16th November, 2008 the People's United Democratic
Movement's President Mario Masuku was arrested and subsequently charged
for contravening the contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act.
According to media reports, the royal police are alleging that Comrade
Mario Masuku was found in unlawful possession of "terrorist" literature.
These trumped up charges are clearly ridiculous given the fact that the
"evidence" was found in Comrade Mario's home a day after PUDEMO was
branded a terrorist entity. The PUDEMO president is currently held in
Siteki police station in the Lubombo region.

It is clear that the action of the government in arresting the PUDEMO
President has nothing to do with fighting terrorism, but is a determined
strategy to crush PUDEMO.

The trumped up charges are nothing other than a ploy to try and crush
PUDEMO. They have nothing to do with terrorism. By arresting the
President (and initially the Secretary General Sphasha Dlamini as well)
out of all the members, clearly shows that they think this will be most
effective in debilitating the organisation.

The SSN is not intimidated by these actions and calls for the immediate
release of the Peoples President, Comrade Mario Masuku. No amount of
repression will deter the struggle for democracy in Swaziland. Neither
will we allow Mswati prescribe how struggle against his regime should be
conducted.

1. SSN therefore, calls for the international community to isolate
Mswati's despotic regime. We further call for the immediate suspension
of Swaziland from SADC.

2. We calls on SADC to intervene to the Swaziland political
stalemate before it worsens. Let SADC change its reactive strategy to
such situations as was the case with Zimbabwe, prevention of a crisis is
always better. Furthermore, the SSN calls for the following to be acted
on by SADC with immediate effect

3. We also call for immediate lifting of all draconian laws
including the recently enacted Terrorism Suppression Act of 2008.

1. Increase the pressure on the Mswati regime to with immediate
effect release comrade. President Mario Masuku and all other comrades.
who might already have been arrested by the time of releasing this
statement.

2. . Lift all draconian laws in place to allow for the country to
start working on a transitional period

3. . Unban all political parties and allow for the unconditional
return of all exiles.

4. Initiate under the SADC supervision, an all inclusive
participative dialogue that will lead Swaziland to a multi party
democratic dispensation.

SSN supports unwaivingly, PUDEMO's position over the years of a
political negotiated settlement with the Mswati regime. This position
the SSN still supports even to this day. The SSN however also supports
PUDEMO and uMbane's right to defend the People of Swaziland, its Leaders
and its Cadres against Mswati's death squads.

Issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network [SSN]