Mswati's police re-arrest CPS member immediately after release on bail

Mbabane, Friday 14 July 2023:- In an act reminiscent of the rapacious apartheid regime’s 60-day detention without trial policy, Mswati’s police on Friday 14 July 2023 re-arrested political activist, Sambulo Shongwe, shortly after receiving bail at the Mbabane magistrate’s court. 

Sambulo Shongwe (22) a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) had earlier on the day appeared before the court for his bail application following his arrest on Tuesday 11 July 2023 at his dormitory at the University of Swaziland, Mbabane Campus. 

His legal representative, Professor Dlamini, confirmed that Sambulo was granted E2,000.00 for five charges of the six assault charges which the regime alleged he had committed in Mbabane. He further explained that Mswati's police withdrew one assault charge allegedly committed in Manzini. He did not know the motive behind the withdrawal. 

CPS members who had gone to support Sambulo for the bail application were denied entry into the court. 

CPS Central Committee member, Manqoba Motsa, revealed that the regime’s police barred democracy activists the right to attend the bail hearing in court, and thus were not able to see Sambulo. 

"After payment of the bail, we eagerly waited at the Sidvwashini Prison gate for his release. What shocked us was witnessing about seven armed police officers travelling in three police vans grabbing and throwing Sambulo into the police van and quickly driving off with our comrade to Manzini ", said Motsa. 

It then became clear to them that Mswati's police  had all along been plotting to re-arrest Sambulo using the very same arbitrary assault of a police officer charge that was being withdrawn. 

The police’s intention is, therefore, to keep him in prison indefinitely, without trial, like they are doing to another CPS member, Mvuselelo Mkhabela who continues to languish in Mswati’s prison. They had already concocted a plan to torture him for the whole weekend before he his appearance at the Manzini magistrate’s court on Monday. 

Eye witnesses later revealed that Sambulo Shongwe was held at the Manzini Police station after the arrest. 

The Mswati autocracy’s actions are a frustration strategy intended to crush the activism of the CPS, and they will fail. No amount of arrest and torture will stop the tide of the revolution. 

The CPS calls upon all democracy activists to remain strong and vigilant, mobilise for the offensive. The struggle for Democracy Now is about fighting to overthrow the oppressive state. It is a political war against those who control state machinery, the minority class which uses state machinery to oppress the majority; the working class and poor.

In the end, the people will win! 

ISSUED BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SWAZILAND