SA KICKS OUT SWAZI POLITICAL ACTIVISTS

MBABANE – The Government of South Africa has ordered three Swazi political activists in that country to leave.

The SA Government has revoked political asylum permits that had allowed the three to remain in the republic over the years. They have been given 25 days to vacate that country.
The activists are members of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS). The trio was denied political asylum on appeal by the South African Department of Home Affairs. CPS is a political party that has been operating from South Africa where they have primarily been spearheading anti-Swazi government campaigns.

The CPS members are the General Secretary Kenneth Kunene, Goodwill Du Pont and Sithembiso Simelane.
Du Pont is originally from Siteki while Simelane is from Manzini and Kunene is from Bhunya.

When called yesterday, Kunene confirmed the new developments they are faced with in SA.
Subsequent to having had their asylum application rejected, they then appealed the decision, and have now been told that their appeals have been rejected and face deportation.
The Communist Party of Finland has, in writing, showed support to the CPS members and urged the Government of SA to stop their deportation. They claimed that in the event they are deported to Swaziland, they would certainly face arrest and detention.

“We are confident that the progressive alliance of the ANC, Cosatu and the SACP will champion the cause of the CPS members and urge that their appeals be accepted leading to their being granted political asylum,” reads part of a statement from the Communist Party of Finland.
The reasons stated by the South African Department of Home Affairs for rejecting their asylum appeal, as shown in correspondence between the political activists and the government of SA, was on grounds that there is no political problem whatsoever in Swaziland and that the Swazi judicial system is fair and independent so there was no way political opposition activists can be subjected to persecution.

Another reason stated was that the State provides a sound citizen security and would, therefore, not be a threat to political activists and as well there is space for engagement. The reasons given by the SA Department of Home Affairs have not gone down well with the CPS members.

The trio left for South Africa in 2005 as they were facing arrest for engaging in political activism in the country. Kunene had been a University of Swaziland student and had once been a president of the Swaziland Youth Congress, the youth wing of the proscribed People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO).
South African High Commissioner to Swaziland Happy Mahlangu, when sought for comment, asked to be called some other day and was quick to cut the cellphone conversation before further questions could be posed.

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