We condemn the torture of Magnificent Mndebele and Cebelihle Mbuyisa in Swaziland

8 July 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

We condemn the torture of Magnificent Mndebele and Cebelihle Mbuyisa in Swaziland

There can be no freedom without a free and democratic media. However, across Africa, and in many other parts of the world, journalists continue to face difficult and dangerous working conditions. Some have been jailed, tortured and assassinated. In many countries the media has been captured by repressive states. Africa has become a capital of oppression and the torture of activists and journalists. 

However not all non-state media is progressive. In South Africa some of the media supports the Zuma faction of the ruling party, some support capitalism and a most of it just ignores impoverished people and our struggles or shows us as criminals and as people who can’t think and speak for ourselves.

When Mqapheli Bonono, the Deputy President of our movement, which has an audited membership of more than 100 000 people, was arrested and imprisoned on ridiculous trumped up charges and on 4 May this year almost all the media in South Africa ignored this. It is clear that we don’t count to most of the media.

In a free society there should be major support for a wide diversity of democratic community-controlled media.

But the media are not all just elites talking to other elites. In South Africa there are some very good journalists and we respect and value their work highly. There are also two progressive publications, GroundUp and New Frame, that regularly carry stories about impoverished people and our organisations and struggles. These publications are important.

We condemn the recent torture and abuse that the two New Frame journalists, Magnificent Mndebele and Cebelihle Mbuyisa, suffered in Swaziland in the strongest manner. It is a vandalization of their humanity and a direct attack on media freedom, and the freedom of us all.

The government of Swaziland and leaders of SADC have reported that there are only a few people who have lost their lives in the pro-democracy protests in the country. We were in contact with comrades in Swaziland from the start of the uprising and know the truth. New Frame was the only publication that was there to take the stories of the people of Swaziland to the outside world. They reported the real stories of people who have had enough of the dictatorship of the monarchy in that country which is a kingdom of oppression.

As a radical movement of impoverished people, it is important that we speak against this brutal attack on progressive journalism.

As the war against the poor continues in Swaziland our movement continues to be in solidarity with those who are living under and resisting the dictatorship of the monarchy in that country. We have no confidence in SADC or our own government to resolve the issues faced by the people of Swaziland. We believe that it is solidarity with the resistance in Swaziland from grassroots movements, trade unions and other progressive organisations around the world that can bring down the dictatorship and bring peace and justice to the Swati people.

We condemn the conduct of SADC which downplayed the number of people who have lost their lives in Swaziland during the rebellion. We condemn the silence of our government. We condemn MTN for switching off the internet to allow the repression to be carried out without activists being able to easily communicate with each other and get information out.

We are ready to work with other progressive organisation to develop a solid bloc in solidarity with our comrades in Swaziland and against the dictatorship.

Contact:

Thapelo Mohapi – 074 774 4219
Mqapheli Bonono – 073 067 3274
Nomsa Sizani –  081 005 3686