7 June 2022

The South African Communist Party (SACP) conveys its deepest condolences to the family of Comrade Amos Mbulaheni Mbedzi. Mbedzi passed away on Tuesday, 7 June 2022, in Polokwane.

The SACP also sends its condolences to the South African liberation movement for the great loss encountered. Comrade Amos Mbedzi served our democratic movement diligently as a member of the SACP, the ANC and the joint SACP and ANC liberation army, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK).

The ruling Swazi regime arrested him in September 2008 and later unjustly convicted and sentenced him to 85 years’ imprisonment, comprising concurrent sentences. On the same day when he was arrested, he had lost his two comrades, Comrade Musa “MJ” Dlamini, a member of People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) of Swaziland, and Comrade Jack Govender, a member of the SACP, who was also a founding member of the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN).

Mbedzi was still serving his prison sentence at the time of his death, having been transferred to South Africa by the cruel regime of Mswati in March 2022 after depriving him of access to healthcare for a long time, resulting in his health and wellbeing deteriorating. The regime of the absolute monarch transferred Mbedzi “to complete his sentence in South Africa” after realising that its intransigent decision to deprive him of healthcare had caused ultimate deterioration in his health and wellbeing.

However, being ruthless, with a do-not-care approach to human rights, Mswati’s autocratic regime did not transfer Mbedzi to South Africa without consistent public pressure, among others by the SACP, Congress of South African Trade Unions, PUDEMO, the Communist Party of Swaziland, the SSN, the Young Communist League of South Africa, as well as by other human rights organisations and concerned people. Mswati’s courts are not independent. They are under the iron fist of the absolute monarch. Because of this, they had no slightest intention of releasing Mbedzi on humanitarian grounds considering his deteriorating health and wellbeing.

An internationalist till the end, South Africa’s 1994 democratic breakthrough did not deter Comrade Amos Mbedzi from contributing to the struggle for a just world. He linked up with democracy activists from Swaziland, primarily PUDEMO, to provide international solidarity to the people of Swaziland struggling for democracy and complete social emancipation. During his life, he also contributed to spreading the SSN, led by its chairperson, Comrade Solly Mapaila, the SACP First Deputy General Secretary, across the length and breadth of South Africa.

The SACP also conveys its message of condolences to the people of Swaziland struggling for democracy and complete social emancipation, as well as the SSN, and urges them to continue the struggle for freedom, in memory of Comrade Amos Mbedzi. It was for his solidarity with the people of Swaziland struggling for democracy and complete social emancipation that the regime of the absolute monarch in Swaziland systematically produced Mbedzi’s death.

The SACP was an active part of the Save Amos Mbedzi Campaign launched in September 2012 to call for his release and that of all other unjustly incarcerated political prisoners in Swaziland. The SACP took part in many protest actions over the years, consistently calling for Comrade Mbedzi’s release. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the violation of his human rights by the Swaziland authorities. It is their violation of Mbedzi’s human rights, which directly led to his death.

The SACP calls for justice for Comrade Amos Mbedzi and his comrades, as well as for all other unjustly incarcerated political prisoners and the people of Swaziland.

In memory of Comrade Amos Mbedzi, the SACP will continue to support the struggle by the people of Swaziland for the unconditional release of all political prisoners and unbanning of all political parties, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and political and other rights. This includes supporting the call for unconditional return of all political exiles, as well as the recognition and respect for people’s rights to freedom of assembly, association, movement and speech, including free media.