12th April 2011

*BEATEN, ARRESTED AND DETAINED, BUT NOT OUT!!*

This below is a personal account of the treatment I received at the hands of
police officers today:

1.      Two male comrades and I were at the SFTU offices where we were
sending out information to our international friends on the happenings of
the protest action billed for today.

2.      At roughly around 1230hrs, an army of male police barged into the
offices and whilst I was in the middle of a telephonic, live interview with
talk Radio 702 and headed directly to me and began punching and slapping me
on my face.

3.      There was SUDF material in the office and I was questioned about it,
to which I pleaded ignorance. This did not go down well with them and the
same police officer (the most heavyset of them all), then came and continued
assaulting me.

4.      This time around, he decided to punch me on the stomach because he
then became aware of the damage he was doing to my face. Another officer
then decided to assist him in my assault.

5.      I was then bundled into a van with the other two comrades and taken
to the Manzini Regional headquarters where we were detained for about two
and a half hours. We were questioned individually.

6.      During the whole process, I was being insulted with every vulgar
word imaginable in the SiSwati language.

7.      After the interrogation, I was strictly warned to desist from my
activism and the Station Commander stated that they would do everything
possible to find some incriminating evidence so that I can be arrested and
imprisoned because I was proving to be a very painful thorn in their
behinds.

8.      I was also given a “friendly” warning that my safety cannot be
guaranteed.

9.      I was then released.

This is what I have to say:

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*I will not be intimidated by these bullish antics of the government.
Bashing me only strengthens my resolve in the role that I play in the
democratic movement in Swaziland.*

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*THE GOVERNMENT OF SWAZILAND MUST GO TO HELL AND ON THE WAY THERE, THEY  MUST
KISS MY BEAUTIFUL BEHIND!!!!*

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*AMANDLA!!*

Ms. Mary Pais Da Silva

mpsdasi...@gmail.com

(00268) 7603 0076