TRIBUTE TO THULANI RUDOLF MASEKO

Madam,

I was informed about the tragic demise of my colleague Thulani ‘TR’ Maseko on Sunday morning by my mother. This is a sad chapter in the life of the ‘Democracy Now’ campaign by the mass democratic movement (MDM), however, I have no doubt that the struggle shall continue. The assassination of ‘TR’ brings to mind memories of luminaries like Chris Hani and Martin Luther King Jr. ‘TR’ was indeed a committed combatant for justice and upholding of the rule of law. Martin Luther King Jr once wrote; “A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

During the trumped charges of the contempt of court case against ‘TR’ and Bheki Makhubu in 2014, I gave ‘TR’ a book marker that had a quote by former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Khoza during a discussion hosted by the Council of Swaziland Churches, which read; “There needs to be a change of mindset, a willingness to listen to the other side to give and take for the common good. I don’t believe that there is any right thinking person in Swaziland (Eswatini) who does not want democracy.” I do believe that ‘TR’ subscribed to this quote paraphrased above as he quoted it with approval in one of his articles in ‘The Nation’ magazine.

‘TR’ genuinely believed in dialogue and constructive engagement. I recall fondly in 2004 when there was a draft constitution, there was a nationwide civic education drive under the auspices of Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) spearheaded by ‘TR’ before the 2005 national Constitution was promulgated. It is the same LHR that, in 2014, took up the matter of Justice Thomas Masuku in the African Court on Human Rights in the Gambia, which in 2021 handed down a ruling that Justice Masuku’s dismissal violated human rights. This was the magnitude of the man such that when he and Makhubu were released from prison, they were later to be recognised by a Multichoice award for their contribution in the defence of justice as ardent human rights defenders. We shall continue the good work that you together with the late Mandla Mkhwanazi and others have carried out over the years. Rest in power African – Amandla!

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