Times Of Swaziland: 'GOVT CAN FORGIVE ‘CECE’, OTHERS'

'GOVT CAN FORGIVE ‘CECE’, OTHERS'
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Mfanukhona Nkambule on 03/12/2023 16:01:00


MBABANE – Government says its doors are open to engaging emaSwati in exile in
talks about forgiveness.
Alpheous Nxumalo, the Government Press Secretary, said forgiveness would always
go via the path of accountability. Nxumalo said repenting emaSwati wishing to
come back home should be ready to be subjected to a process of full disclosure
regarding atrocities committed against their fellow countrymen. These included
members of the security forces who were gunned down in cold blood in broad day
light. After they had been subjected to a full disclosure, he said they could be
considered for immunity for their heinous crimes. The spokesperson said Eswatini
is a State that was committed to justice and the rule of law. “There are no
shortcuts to liberation and forgiveness,” he said.
The government press secretary said Cebile Shongwe, popularly known as
‘Cece’, was subjected to another form of gender-based violence (GBV) if it
was true that she was recruited and hoodwinked to exile in the way and manner in
which she narrated in a circulating video clip. He issued the statement in
reaction to the circulating videos posted on social media by ‘Cece’ on the
treatment she received in exile. He mentioned that after seeing the video clip
for ‘Cece’ circulating on social media platforms, wherein she was apparently
expressing anguish and frustration for having been prematurely hoodwinked by a
certain gentleman to resign her job and go to ‘exile’ in order to engage in
an illegitimate and fraudulent ‘struggle’, government was obliged to say
something.
humanitarian
He said government would like to further reiterate that it was upholding and
maintaining an open door policy, which was guided by international and
humanitarian law. The government spokesperson pointed out that the open door
policy related to those subversive and militants elements who were repentant of
their violent and terroristic activities and were ready to come back home.
Nxumalo urged them to take responsibility for their past activities and also
embrace a rehabilitation programme designed to integrate them back to society.
“Nobody is born a terrorist. Therefore, nobody should die a terrorist,” he
said. He said terrorism was not a viable strategy in social change. As a result,
he said government was keen to putting in place measures to prevent the
recruitment of young people to join terrorism. He said government was keen to
adopting an anti-terrorist strategy that would facilitate the exit of older
members from terrorism and proscribed organisations and activities.
On social media, ‘Cece’ has been criticising certain elements within the
pro-democracy movement, mainly one of the members whom she accused of having
published sensitive stories while she was in the country. After the publication
of these stories, she said she felt insecure, resulting in her migration to
South Africa. She said she hurriedly left Eswatini before she could apply for an
international passport. She said she was disappointed because the member did not
give her a meagre E400 on her low days, despite the huge role she has been
playing in sharing crucial information with him. ‘Cece’ complained about the
treatment she has been receiving of late. She said there were ‘comrades’ who
had stopped assisting her pay rent.
On her social page, ‘Cece’ alleged yesterday that one person advocating for
political reforms stopped the Swaziland International Solidarity Network from
burning forests belonging to Montigny Investments in Bhunya. She alleged that
she was taken aback when this democrat asked for E3 million from one of the
employees of the company as a token of appreciation for saving the company’s
property.
complained
At some point, she warned her followers to run away, very fast, from a person
who called himself an investigative journalist. She also complained about
womanising ‘comrades’. The former police officer said these people were not
concerned about the struggle for political reforms as their concentrations were
on women and wine. One woman, Slindile Dlamini, challenged ‘Cece’s
legitimacy in the political reforms, using words that cannot be published for
ethical reasons. However, ‘Cece’ came back strong and got personal with
Slindile, a noticeable character in political reform conversations. While social
media clients have been following ‘Cece’s posts, Bhekani Magagula, a former
warder, who escaped the country to South Africa at the height of the civil
unrest, made startling allegations on Swazi Voice of the People’s News. He
talked about plots to kill journalists. Magagula said these plots were
orchestrated by a leader of a political party. The exiled warder alleged that
the political leader received millions of Emalangeni from donors to finance the
struggle for political reforms.
He said it was a pity that the money was not used for the intended purpose.
Magagula said any person who differed in opinion with this leader faced death
threats. He wondered how a leader who failed to manage a team of 16 freedom
fighters could run a country of 1.3 million people. He said the political leader
mistreated self-styled commander of the underground forces, Thabo Kunene, who
was arrested on May 31, 2023. Magagula said the senior ‘comrade’ talked to
Kunene as if he was addressing a child. He said their political agenda would
have long been achieved if the ‘commander’ was not arrested. He also alleged
that there was an underhand in the arrest of Kunene, suspecting an inside job.
He said some ‘comrades’ might have sold him out to the police. In an
interview, ‘Cece’ said she had not seen the statement, but requested
government to walk the talk in this matter. She said there was no crime that she
ever committed. However, she said she was aware that the call was just a trap
than a commitment to solve the country’s crises. If they are real, she urged
government to set free the two innocent former MPs who were also jailed for
speaking the truth.  These are Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza. “May
they commit that they are not going to kill us,” she said.
difficult
“You know bhuti (referring to this reporter) a lot has happened and it’s
very difficult to trust government.” She said her biggest wish was to see
government bringing solutions to the political chaos faced by the nation. The
ex-police officer mentioned that only that fact could serve as a demonstration
of a political-will backing the promise of immunity and tolerance to dissenting
voices. ‘Cece’ said it was a fact that Eswatini would forever be her home.
She said she would always want to go home when authorities have embraced the
fact that the country “belongs to all emaSwati, regardless of their
diverseness in the political space. “When this political battle comes to an
end, I shall celebrate with all both in and out of the country,” she said.
“For now I think I am safe and I am still not convinced that it is safe to go
back home, unless government convinces me otherwise and I don’t know how it
can convince me.”
One liSwati in exile said he would return home on condition that government
committed itself to an inclusive political dialogue and elimination of
repressive laws. Sivumelwano Nyembe, the Public Relations Officer of the
Swaziland Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) could not be reached for comment through
his mobile phone. He had not responded to a questionnaire texted to her phone by
6pm yesterday. Associated Press reported in October 2023 that Pakistan’s
former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had arrived home on a chartered plane from
Dubai, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London. A Pakistani federal
court granted him several days of protection in graft cases, clearing the way
for his return.
Alpheous discusses plot to kill Thabo
On June 9, 2023, the Government Press Secretary, Nxumalo, issued a statement
that there was a plot to kill Kunene. His statement was described as sheer
propaganda orchestrated to sow the seeds of discord within the pro-democracy
movement. The statement issued by Nxumalo was titled ‘Threats on suspect Thabo
Kunene’s life’. Kunene appeared in the High Court of Eswatini charged with
contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008. He was slapped with
attempted murder and murder charges. Sibusiso Nkomonye was arrested with him.
Meanwhile, the government spokesperson said a credible intelligence report
showed that there was a plan to harm Kunene.
He said the killing of the former police officer was intended to manipulate the
information, which Kunene was divulging to the law enforcement agencies that
were interrogating him. Nxumalo urged the public to report any suspicious
persons to the nearest police station. He assured the nation that the
self-styled commander would get maximum protection.  “Government wishes to
inform the nation that all is being done by national security services to ensure
that the suspect, Thabo Kunene, is provided with maximum protection as he and
his accomplice await trial,” the press release stated. Government warned that
all those who were or might be involved in this ‘diabolical plan’ to harm
the suspect while in the custody of government, should desist from it right
away, for the law shall take its full course. Government also warned the nation
and all emaSwati to be on the lookout for people whose intentions were to cause
chaos and confusion in the country so that they could blame others for their
respective criminal activities.