“We expected something like this. Police intimidated and arrested people, they even deported people who came from outside to support us,” said Sikelela Dlamini, spokesperson for the Swaziland Democracy Campaign, which co-ordinated the march.
He said that 1 000 people joined the march, but police pushed into the crowd to arrest four activists. Three were later released but the president of the Swaziland Youth Congress, Wandile Dludlu, was still in custody, he added.
“Police came and just walked in between the protesters and got those they were looking for and arrested them. It was so nasty, people were pushed and shoved,” Dlamini said by telephone from Mbabane.
On Monday nearly 50 people were arrested at a meeting to organise the protests.
‘We were humiliated’
On Tuesday, during a protest in the main city Manzini, police also arrested Mario Masuku, leader of the banned opposition People’s United Democratic Movement of Swaziland.
“He is still in custody, we are completely blank about where he is. We have notified our lawyers about the situation,” said Dlamini.
South African union leaders had gone to Swaziland to support the protests, but 33 of them were arrested and then deported on Monday.
Union leaders said in Johannesburg they feared for Masuku’s safety.
“We learned this morning he was subjected to a whole day of vigorous interrogation; we fear for him,” said Stephen Faulkner, deputy president of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
“He has done nothing wrong,” Faulkner said. “This type of treatment would never be allowed in any democratic state.”
Another union representative, Christine Olivier, said the detained labour leaders were harassed and interrogated.
“We were made to write statements that we were not arrested. We were humiliated, and if they felt that your statement is not the one they wanted, they made you rewrite it.”
Political organisations have been outlawed since 1973 in the impoverished southern African country, which is known for the lavish lifestyles of 42-year-old King Mswati III and his 13 wives.
Source: news24