Responding to reports that Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, a former Member of Parliament (MP) who has been arbitrarily detained for almost two years, was beaten by correctional services officers on Friday Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:
“The Eswatini authorities must carry out a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the reported attack against imprisoned former MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza. Anyone suspected of criminal responsibility must be brought to justice in fair trials. Torture is abhorrent and inhumane and can never be justified.
The Eswatini authorities must carry out a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the reported attack against imprisoned former MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza.
Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, East and Southern Africa region
“Mabuza must also be granted immediate access to medical care, and to members of his family and his lawyer. Attacks on inmates in Eswatini are a grave violation of human rights that must be immediately stopped.
“The Eswatini authorities must immediately quash the flawed convictions and sentences of Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube. Their prosecution stems solely from the peaceful exercise of their human rights. Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube should be immediately and unconditionally released.”
Mabuza must also be granted immediate access to medical care, and to members of his family and his lawyer. Attacks on inmates in Eswatini are a grave violation of human rights that must be immediately stopped.
Vongai Chikwanda
Background
On 1 June 2023, former MPs Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, who have been arbitrarily detained for nearly two years, were found guilty of terrorism, sedition and murder. Sentencing will be in December 2023. While in detention, they have been beaten on multiple occasions and denied access to their lawyer and medical care.
In September 2022, Mabuza and Dube were attacked by members of a prison unit that was responsible for transporting them to and from court. No investigation has been carried out into this attack.
Despite ratifying the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2004 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 1995, Eswatini’s authorities routinely resort to the use of torture and other ill treatment against prisoners.