Communist Party of Swaziland 

CPS Update, 3 March 2023

Comrade Mvuselelo Mkhabela reported to have disappeared from hospital after being shot by Mswati's police

Today, Friday 3 March 2023, the Mswati's police went to Comrade Mvuselelo’s home to meet his family only to report that he had disappeared from hospital and were sorry that they had shot and gravely injured him. 

A Hlathikhulu police 'delegation' led by its station commander, his deputy and three other junior-ranked police officers arrived at Comrade Mvuselelo’s home in Hosea this afternoon. 

They claim to have come to report to the family about the shooting of Comrade Mvuselelo by the police on 28 February, three days ago. 

"Site ngekutocolisa ngekulinyalelwa ngumntfwana lowadubuleka... Sibika nekulahlekelwa nguye umntfwana, asimati kutsi ushonephi (We have come to report the injury of your child who was shot by our police officers... We also report that he has disappeared without trace)," said the station commander. 

The police shot Comrade Mvuselelo Mkhabela (21) a member of the Communist Party of Swaziland and a community organiser on 28 March 2023 at around 1300hrs in his community at Hosea, Hluti in the Shiselweni region. 

They shot and quickly dragged him into  a waiting police van, detained him while profusely bleeding and later dumped him at Hlathikhulu Government Hospital. 

Today, the police met his family. His father was also present. They introduced themselves and reported that they shot him not because he was the prime target, meaning that the purpose to shoot was targeted at anyone in the protesting people on that day. 

They confirmed that they took him to the police station first but with no intention to arrest him. They further confirmed that they took him to Hlathikhulu Government Hospital. 

The police also reported that Comrade Mvuselelo disappeared from the hospital, but the date and time of disappearance was not specified. Disparagingly, they asked the family to tell them if they knew his whereabouts. 

The police admitted to being in possession of his bag, which had money and other articles when they took it. The money is not missing, but the police deny that they stole it. 

The survival of Comrade Mvuselelo will depend on his strength and support, if he successfully escaped, otherwise the police must fully account on his whereabouts. 

What is disturbing though is the similarities in this method with what the Mswati police and their assassination missions targeted at the youth in crime practices. Shooting of their target, dragging them to private to secret torture chambers and bunkers operated clandestinely in some inclusive places throughout the country is very common. 

Survivors would often be taken to hospital under their custody. For those who die, the head of the police station takes the responsibility to go to the family and report false escapes, and make threats of killing on sight or ask the family to inform them of any latest information of the detained person. 

Information about all these operations are known and have formed reports to several international human rights institutions including Amnesty International. 

If this was a reaction to a riot, casualties are supported by emergency services, taken to the nearest health services depending on the assessment of the situation. In this case, the police operation was ‘inclusive’ confirming that the police force in Swaziland is not guided by the rule of law but by the order from the absolute power. 

Political activists are subjected to gross state violence and the workshop of this police operation is disguised as combating civilian criminal practices in our distressed society. 

The Mswati autocracy's defensive operations continue to escalate state violence against CPS members and democracy activists in the quest to defeat the democracy people for the preservation of the absolute monarchy and its dictatorship. 

No amount of violence can survive the hated regime as long as the people are united and resolve to end the tyrannic rule to the end for true democracy in Swaziland. 

The CPS calls for the intensification of the Campaign to Boycott and Disrupt tinkhundla sham elections to defeat the monarchic dictatorship presided over by Mswati and his corrupt government.