12/05/2010Swaziland: When murder still can’t be enough to make the world roar inanger”.Press Release
The SDC takes this opportunity to note the growing global solidarity and messagesof support from all over the world to the family, friends and comrades of the lateSipho Jele, who was murdered in cold blood by the Swazi police. Let us be clear, hewas murdered because of his peaceful commitment to the struggle of the Swazipeople and his banned political movement, PUDEMO, as well as his trade unionfederation, the SFTU.We welcome more of the world to the reality of the situation facing the Swazipeople on a daily basis. For a long time many have entertained the illusion of apeaceful and stable Swaziland ruled by a benevolent monarchy, which isdeliberately spread by the ruling tinkhundla regime and some media institutionsthat refuse to expose the situation as it is. The harsh reality is that the ruthless killing of our patriot and comrade, Sipho Jelewas not accidental. We are certain that it will be shown to be a central part of astrategy to eliminate all forms of opposition to the system of oppression and greed.But it is also an indication of the growing resistance and willingness of the people tobe mobilised. There is a new dawn of democracy being opened up in Swaziland frombelow. The people and their democratic organisations of civil society throughout thelength and breadth of Swazi society are gathering momentum and confidence. In anact of desperation, when Maswati addressed his sycophants he made it clear that“akukhanywane”, a term to describe the throttling of all those defying hisoppressive rule is the strategy to be used. There is no doubt that the regime is onthe defensive when it has to resort to such barbarism. The systematic murder of political opponents in Swaziland has a long history datingback to the days tinkhundla collaboration with apartheid rule in South Africa. It hasintensified during the rule of Mswati with his war-cry phrase-mongering, includinghis 1989 call to traditional regiments to molest trade unions for being un-Swazi,particularly the public sector unions for going on a protracted strike in directchallenge to his failing government.We intend to make these facts known to as many people as possible especiallythose visitors coming to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup. We want to urge all of those who were thinking of visiting Swaziland during that period that they areentering a country where the murder of democrats is sanctioned by the ruling elite.
The Swaziland Democracy Campaign inside Swaziland, and its chapters in SouthAfrica and elsewhere, in honour of Comrade Jele and all those others before himwho have paid the ultimate price for freedom, re-commits themselves to thestruggle for a democratic Swaziland. Nothing less. The May Day workers celebrations held at Salesian Play grounds in MANZINI, wereviolently interrupted by police who were insisting on the removal of all guests whowere considered by them as not union members or workers. In this regard thepolice in their numbers disrupted the workers proceedings and manhandled officersof the unions including a member of the National Executive Committee of theSwaziland National Association of Teachers, namely Simangele Mmema. It isreported that the police confiscated photographic equipment and deletedphotographs etc. The union leadership has publicly protested about this harassmentof workers and the unprovoked disruption of a peaceful function and they haveappealed to the Swazi government to explain this intervention and assault upon theworkers of Swaziland (SNAT Letter attached).It was in the same situation where the former employee of Usuthu Pulp Company, asubsidiary of the SAPPI Group, was arrested by the police for wearing a T- shirtbearing the name of a political party, PUDEMO. The name of this young worker andpatriotic activist is Sipho Stephen Jele. On his arrest the police took him to his home,where according to his aunt, Juliet Jele, the police searched the house and foundnothing that could pose a danger to the State other than Jele's membership card toPUDEMO. He was made to pose showing off the PUDEMO membership card and thepolice took photographs of him before they took him away. Two days later thecorrectional services department makes the shocking announcement that SiphoStephen Jele committed suicide in the toilet of a prison cell. Furthermore, a reportemerged that the police were pressurizing Jele’s family for a quick burial of thisyoung lion. This development has sent shock waves through out Swaziland and is generatinganger and desperation, that agents of the regime have become so drunk with powerthat they would needlessly end the life of this young man with impunity and his onlycrime is that of exercising the most basic freedom in human civilization, namelyfreedom of association. The Times of Swaziland editor Mbongeni Mbingo wrote on 6 May 2010 that thedeath of Cde Sipho Jele is not just in strange circumstances but categorically placesthe burden on the regime to account, what happened and why. Do the police haveanything to hide? If not why did they pressure the family to hurriedly bury thedeceased? These are questions that many in Swaziland are asking. PUDEMO hascondemned and dismissed the state suggestion of suicide and characterized thedeath as just cold blooded murder. The progressive movement and workers of Swaziland have also dismissed the suggestion of suicide and are calling for anindependent judicial commission of inquiry into this horribly incident. The Swazimedia is being flooded by angry letters of protest and anger, all asking the simplequestion why? The Prime Minister of Swaziland in an obvious bid to contain the anger of the peopleand the scrutiny of international media has appointed a low level inquiry involving
the police, the correctional service staff. In reality no one within civil society andpolitical parties can trust the Swazi government and their security agencies toinvestigate themselves.It should be pointed out that this death has occurred within an environment wherethe king as commander in chief of the security agencies has commanded thatopponents of the Tinkhundla system should be throttled and extinguished. TheSwazi Prime Minister is on Public record as out to implement the command of theking to throttle and extinguish life from the so called enemies of thesystem. Abekhanywe the Swazi king commanded. They have now done it and thecomrade is dead and so are other activists being killed by the regimeAs the SDC we maintain that the killings in Swaziland are systematic as mentionedabove. The following statistics give a clearer picture of the political nature of thesekillings. The Jele issue is not at all in isolation.Noxolo Mdluli, 22 January 1996- S student in ManziniPercy Malinga, August 2003- A leader of PUDEMO in the rural Shiselweni region isshot 13 times in what police said was a failed hijacking. Nothing is taken from himbut his life. The community apprehends one of the assailants and a few days hedies in custody!Bheki Dlamini- A national organising secretary of the Nurses union and member of PUDEMO is attacked by “criminals” who take nothing from him, stabbed severaltimes and recovers in a hospital in South Africa.Mandlenkosi “Matausand”Ngubane, May 2004- is tortured and dies in police custodyLafakudze, 29 December 2005- A wife to one of the detainees is abducted, torturedto death by Swazi police for not cooperating in giving details about the activities of her husband who is a PUDEMO member Timothy Tsabedze- A Regional political Commissar of PUDEMO and a ruraldevelopment and agricultural officer is attacked by “criminals” next to the royalhead quarters in Lobamba. He is stabbed several time. Only his diary is taken fromhim. What criminals steal a diary?Ntokozo Ngozo, August 2007- He was a former leader of the Swaziland Associationof Students and the Swaziland Youth Congress which is the Youth wing of PUDEMO.With only under wears covering his body, with both hands in the air; he is shotseveral times at close range and is killed.Dumsani Khoza- a former National Executive Committee member of PUDEMO isinvolved in a terrible car accident, sustaining fatal injuries. Instead of being taken tohospital police take him to custody. He dies a few days later
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Swaziland Democracy Campaign Sipho Jele Statement
The SDC takes this opportunity to note the growing global solidarity and messages of support from all over the world to the family, friends and comrades of the late Sipho Jele, who was murdered in cold…
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