Bacede, Mthandeni remand return date set
SUPPORTERS:
It was reported that a total of 120 people were affected by the firing of tear gas canisters at the crowd at the High Court by the police in a bid to disperse them and some were reportedly shot.
MBABANE - Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and his Ngwempisi counterpart, MP Mthandeni Dube will be back in court on Monday.
They will be appearing for a remand hearing. Remand hearings of accused persons charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act are conducted at the High Court. Mabuza and Dube are alleged to have incited the public to revolt against a constitutionally established government. Mabuza is alleged to have also contravened the COVID- 19 regulations in June 2021.
The Crown opposed their application on the basis that it claimed they were likely to disturb public order, undermine public peace, evade trial, interfere with Crown witnesses, commit similar offences and jeopardise public confidence in the justice system. During their court appearances on Monday and Thursday, security was heightened at the High Court and some of their supporters were turned back at the entrance.
The duo filed bail applications on Monday during their remand hearing. It remains to be seen whether they will garner the same support that they have been receiving in the two days they have appeared at the High Court.
Among those who have been present during both of their appearances are their close relatives and supporters. On Monday and Thursday, Mabuza’s wives, who were dressed to the nines and drove similar Range Rover SUVs with personalised licence plates, stole the show.
Meanwhile, their supporters demonstrated near the Mbabane Bus Rank after being turned away from the High Court where the bail hearing of the two MPs was taking place. At the High Court, the supporters were advised by security officers to leave since the courtroom where the matter was heard was already full and they could not be accommodated due to COVID- 19 regulations restrictions. It was reported that a total of 120 people were affected by the firing of tear gas canisters at the crowd by the police in a bid to disperse them and some were reportedly shot.
At least 10 people who were heading to the High Court to give the duo moral support were turned back at Mvutjini where
the police had mounted a roadblock.
The reason for turning them back, according to the police, was that the courtroom, where the accused were appearing, was already full. Mabuza and Dube are currently kept at the Matsapha Maximum Prison.
During their appearance on Thursday, the accused persons were on leg irons and were escorted by armed officers from His Majesty’s Correctional Services.
Before their arrival on Thursday, a clean sweep was conducted at the High Court using, among other methods, sniffer dogs.
During the argument of the bail application, Advocate Mduduzi ‘ Tsotsi’ Mabila said the Crown’s argument that nothing could prevent the two from selling their businesses and leaving the country to re- establish new lives out
side Eswatini did not hold water.
The advocate said the Crown did not bring facts to support their argument. He said the Crown made bare allegations. “In the Crown’s papers, there is no flesh. It is just bones. Their flight risk allegation cannot stand. It falls away,” said the advocate.
He further submitted that the two would not interfere with witnesses as claimed by the State.
According to Mabila, it was strange that the accused persons had not been provided with a list and statements of witnesses by the Crown and wondered how they could possibly interfere with people they did not know.
The Crown, according to Mabila, said they would provide them with a list of witnesses during the pretrial. “They do not know right now who the witnesses are.” Mabila informed the court that the State did not say that
“Duo is alleged to have incited the public to revolt against government”