PM SAYS MPS’ ARREST NOT POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

LOBAMBA – The arrest of the two Members of Parliament was not politically motivated, according to Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini.

He said this in the House of Assembly yesterday when presenting a ministerial statement. The two currently incarcerated MPs are Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube. The PM said as government, they were aware that there was talk that the MPs were arrested for voicing out their political views.  “We wish to put it on record that these allegations are unfounded and the arrests are in no way politically motivated,” said Dlamini. He said they trusted that the justice system would give them a free and fair trial.

“For now, they remain innocent until proven guilty and we cannot engage on this matter any further as it is now subjudice,” said Dlamini. However, in response Lobamba Lomdzala MP Mawrick Khumalo informed the PM that the perception both internationally, on social media and for the ordinary man on the street was that the arrests were politically driven. He said the country needed to allow political debate and that the MPs must be allowed to speak freely otherwise they would be of the view that they were not allowed to speak freely yet the Constitution allowed it. Before the PM read his statement, Nkilongo MP Timothy Myeni had asked the Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo if they as MPs were safe to address political issues both in and out of the House freely. “Where is the freedom for us to speak, because we will all clearly end up in jail,” wondered MP Myeni.

Funerals

He asked if MPs were free to speak at Tinkhundla centres, at funerals or even to respond to things which were asked by journalists without the risk of facing arrest.  “We were elected to represent the people, but today we do not have three members in this house because they spoke their mind,” he said making reference to MP Mabuza, MP Dube and Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi Simelane. In response, the AG said he had not heard of any person who was arrested for what was said in Parliament. He said arrests had been carried out on people who had looted and others for allegedly contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act and the Public Order Act. He said however, once a person spoke outside Parliament there were certainly limits to that freedom of expression.

“Freedom of expression has restrictions and it is not absolute as stated in Section 24 (1) of the Constitution,” said Khumalo. The AG said freedom was limited especially if it touched on issues of public order or safety especially if it was inciting violence.
However, the Nkilongo MP wondered which of the speeches made had incited violence. Meanwhile, Lobamba Lomdzala MP asked how the MPs had been charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, because they had read somewhere on social media that the Act had been declared unconstitutional by the full bench of the court. The AG said the information was partly true and stated that government had noted an appeal on that ruling which was why the status quo was to the effect that the law was still in place. The AG further said the inciting of violence was in the Public Order Act in Section 15. Meanwhile, the PM informed the House that they would recall that the violence sprung out from the process of delivering petitions to 51 Tinkhundla.

Violence

“What became concerning was the level of violence that erupted at the delivery of these petitions to some of the Tinkhundla, coupled with the blatant disregard of COVID-19 regulations and protocols at a time when the kingdom was at the brink of a third wave,” said Dlamini. However, he said threats and violence against those people do not agree with are misplaced under the banner of freedom of expression and so was hate speech. “We need to make a clear distinction between freedom of expression and inciting violence that threatens lives. The rule of law should be upheld at all times and government will not hesitate to bring to book anyone who instigates violence under the guise of freedom of expression,” said Dlamini. He said as government they strongly discouraged threats and intimidation against those seen to be of different political views, including the cyber bullying that was recently witnessed in the country.

“Such a level of violence is foreign to our country and should never be allowed to surface again. The level of disinformation peddled by agents and instigators of violence on different platforms is condemned,” he said. On another note, about 23 MPs debated the PM’s speech from the initial 40 who had indicated that they wanted to debate it. The House sitting had to be adjourned as the MPs highlighted that due to the COVID-19 regulations the curfew was at 8pm. The Speaker Petros Mavimbela then postponed the sitting to this afternoon and the House was adjourned at around 6:20pm. 

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