MARCH TO PARLY OVER POLICE BRUTALITY, OTHER ISSUES

LOBAMBA – About 300 protesters yesterday marched to Parliament where they voiced out their frustration of feeling as though they had no hope and no one to advance their cause with.

Their cause was said to be seeking justice against alleged police brutality and other challenges that evolve around human rights and the welfare of students. This was disclosed by the President of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS) Colani Maseko. Maseko, when delivering a petition from the protesters, said since the administration of this country had supposedly shown that it was not for the people, they had taken matters into their hands in seeking a remedy for their challenges. He claimed that some Cabinet ministers had made sinister utterances that their people needed to be silenced using force while some Members of Parliament (MPs) had publicly turned against the electorate.

Fire

It should be noted that one minister, Prince Simelane, actually said fire should be fought with fire. Maseko said: “Some MPs are calling those who are seeking to address challenges that face the citizenry as sell-outs. This has made us lose hope as there is no one to advance our cause but ourselves.” Maseko said the past few weeks had been laden with grief and pain from students under the banner of SNUS as they were all reminded that they were members of the community before and after being students. The students’ leader said it was for that reason that the calls for accountability and Justice for Thabani’s case had escalated beyond UNESWA and students in general to become a national campaign.

“Among the different cadres in our society that joined and lead the campaign, are fearless members of this Parliament. To them, we want to say, we see you comrades and we welcome your efforts and resolve. Together we will turn the tables,” he said. When delivering the petition, Maseko claimed that they understood that a handful of MPs were in office because they had the genuine interest of the people at heart. While acknowledging that there were selfless legislators serving the electorate, Maseko alleged there were also MPs who joined the politics fray, to line their pockets, entrench corruption and poor service delivery. “You are sell-outs, we see you, we know you and you too have messed with the wrong generation, it ends here,” he said.  He said protesters were in Parliament because of a government and its structures that did not know of accountability, an integral component of politics.

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