DEMOCRACY NOW UPDATE: Police single out and heavily assault CPS leader
CPS Communist Party of Swaziland
Communist Party of Swaziland
DEMOCRACY NOW UPDATE: Police single out and heavily assault CPS leader
Saturday 26 June 2021
The Mswati autocracy’s police today, Saturday 26 June 2021, heavily assaulted and tortured the Deputy General Secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), Mxolisi Ngcamphalala. The attack happened while he was on his way to attend a protest at Siphofaneni constituency in the Lubombo region.
The police singled him out among other taxi passengers, accusing him of taking pictures. In their attempt to block the masses from attending the protest action, Mswati’s police had staged a roadblock. Immediately after the police recognised the CPS leader, two plain-clothed police pounced on the taxi and ordered him to get off.
“During the commotion, I was kicked all over the body, held by my genitals and bundled into a police van to Siphofaneni police station”, said Ngcamphalala.
At the police station he was interrogated on his intention for taking pictures.
“The interrogation and assault took about two hours, and then I was moved to Duze, a rural community near Siphofaneni town, where the police commanded me to remain there”, added Ngcamphalala.
The CPS leader later travelled to the nearest clinic, where he received emergency medical attention for his police-inflicted injuries.
This barbaric act by Mswati's police is a clear indication that the regime is getting more desperate to cling to power. Mswati, who rules Swaziland as Africa’s last absolute monarch, will go to extreme lengths to preserve the regime which has ruled by iron-fist since 12 April 1973. Political parties remain banned in Swaziland where 70 percent of the population live below the poverty line.
Residents from about 16 constituencies in Swaziland marched today in demand for democracy in Swaziland. Some of the protests went on into the night. The police attacked protesters in a bid to crush the protests.
The CPS calls upon all workers, faith-based organisations and progressive movements to intensify the fight for democracy now. The CPS calls for unity against the regime in the call for the unbanning of political parties, for democracy.
ISSUED BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SWAZILAND
Contacts:
Thokozane Kenneth Kunene
General Secretary
Pius Vilakati
International Secretary
Email: cpsw...@gmail.com
Facebook: Communist Party Of Swaziland – CPS
Twitter: @CPSwaziland
