Court declares Swazi terror act null and void

MBABANE: Swaziland’s Suppression of Terrorism Act, which has been used by the government to ban political groups opposing King Mswati’s rule, has been declared unconstitutional by the country’s high court.

The court ruled the act null and void, opening the door to the possibility that proscribed pro-democracy groups may openly operate in sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarchy.

“The respondents have been found woefully wanting,” said Judge Mbutfo Mamba in summation of the government’s attempt to justify a law that curbs basic freedoms such as assembly and speech.

Lawyer Thulani Maseko, who recently spent 16 months in prison for criticising the government, brought the case to court along with Mario Masuku, president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo).

The government used the act to ban Pudemo in 2008. Masuku was charged with treason and awaits trial for publicly uttering the name of his organisation at a May Day rally in 2014. The terrorism act forbids public mention of a proscribed entity such as Pudemo.

The law was hastily passed in 2008 after a failed attempt to blow up a bridge near Mswati’s palace at Lozitha was linked to a Pudemo member. Pudemo denounced the use of violence and reiterated its non-violent policy toward achieving democracy in the country. Although organised political opposition to royal rule has been outlawed since 1973, the government saw an opportunity to brand Pudemo as terrorists and break up the group.

London-based Amnesty International and US-based Human Rights Watch have criticised the law as an act of political oppression disguised as anti-terror legislation.

Judge Mamba, supported by high court judges Jacobus Annandale and Nkululeko Hlope, took the government to task for the act’s lack of definition of what constituted an act of terrorism and what precise damage to society the act sought to prevent. With the act declared null and void, Pudemo can no longer be considered a terrorist organisation and Masuku may no longer be charged for uttering its name. – ANA