MPS’ REQUEST FOR CJ’S INTERVENTION

MBABANE – CJ Bheki Maphalala was also one of the recipients of the series of letters that were written by incarcerated MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, wherein they were seeking intervention in their matter.

The duo wrote to the chief justice (CJ) on November 18, 2021. In the petition titled “Re: Our continued incarceration” the two Members of Parliament (MPs) informed the CJ that they were seeking his intervention on their case that was before the Supreme Court, wherein they filed a notice of appeal on September 14, 2021, on urgent basis and to date it had not been heard. “Honourable chief justice, we note that our legal team may perhaps be in a position to understand the procedures and the operations of the Judiciary which we may not. At the present moment, we really seek clarity on the hearing of our matter,” reads part of the letter.

Businesspeople

In the letter, they further stated that they alluded that they were both MPs in the country; businesspeople and they were born and raised in the country. They told the CJ that: “We, therefore, have no other country or any justice system that we can rely on except the one in Eswatini. We, therefore, seek your intervention on the issue of our urgent bail appeal that is still pending and unheard at the Supreme Court,” wrote the MPs. In the two-page letter, the MPs informed Maphalala that they had never in any instance since their incarceration sought for special treatment either from the Correctional Services or the court.

“We only seek justice, just like everyone else. We have been following many cases that came before the same court where the accused persons were granted bail while they faced similar offences. We are, therefore, perturbed as to why we are not given the same treatment,” said Mabuza and Dube.

King

The two MPs recently wrote a letter to His Majesty King Mswati III seeking for his intervention. In the letter to the King, they stated that: “We have noted with great concern Your Majesty that we are the few selected members of Parliament who have  been ridiculed, embarrassed, persecuted and insulted and now placed behind bars for carrying out our mandate as Members of Parliament.” They also informed the European Union (EU), United States and Taiwan embassies, as well as the South Africa High Commission, that they were allegedly being victimised with their arrest. The duo also wrote to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu, Attorney General (AG) Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo and Speaker in the House of Assembly Petros Mavimbela.

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