30 January 2002
The General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Comrade Blade Nzimande, will lead a picket for the release of Comrade Mario Masuku in front of the Swaziland Consulate in Johannesburg to be held as detailed below.
Other speakers at the picket include:
The SACP together with the SSN call on all democratic and progressive South Africans to join this picket in solidarity with Comrade Masuku and the toiling masses of Swaziland, and to make a clear statement for increased international pressure on the autocratic regime of King Mswati.
The SACP calls on the Swazi government and High Court to release Comrade Mario Masuku, the president of (PUDEMO), without any delay. His trial for sedition has started and stopped since last week. Comrade Masuku is the people's president detained unjustly by a desperate regime which, daily, grows more and more out of touch with the reality of the needs and interests of the people of Swaziland. Masuku's trial is not legitimate and is not founded on any principles which will stand scrutiny in a free and democratic society. The trial against Masuku is a trial against free speech, democracy and the will of the people of Swaziland.
Comrade Masuku has been in detention from 04 October 2001. He was charged with treason for speaking at PUDEMO rallies in September 2000 (in Manzini) and November 2000 (Mbabane) calling for the democratisation of Swaziland.
The SACP calls on the international community to condemn political detentions in Swaziland and to put pressure on the tinkhundla regime for the democratisation of Swaziland which is the only sustainable basis for the reconstruction and development of Swaziland and the entire Southern African region.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel - 011 339 3621
Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - sacp1@wn.apc.org