Africa-Press – Lesotho. A local civil society group, Lawyers for Human Rights, has condemned the assassination of their Eswatini colleague, Advocate Thulani Maseko. Advocate Maseko was murdered last Saturday at his home in Mbabane while watching television with his family.
No arrests have been made yet. In a statement the President of Lesotho Lawyers for Human Rights, Advocate Zwelakhe Mda KC, said they are saddened by the assassination of their colleague.
“It would be an overstatement to describe our reaction to the callous and cowardly deed,” Advocate Mda said.
He said recent developments in Eswatini characterised by the steady descent of the country into lawlessness and total disregard for human life by security agencies were clear signals that something of this kind was likely to happen.
“We learned that Thulani was murdered in his home while watching television with his family,” he said. Advocate Mda said Maseko had been in the forefront of the struggle for constitutional reforms and respect for human rights in his country.
“He was the head of the Multi-Stakeholders Forum that has been calling for constitutional reforms in Eswatini,” he said. Advocate Maseko was also the leader of the Lawyers for Human Rights in Eswatini.
He was imprisoned for two years for expressing concern over the lack of judicial independence in his country, the statement read. Because of his imprisonment, Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience.
“He has been defending MPs who have now been in prison for two years for daring to call for constitutional reforms in Eswatini,” Advocate Mda said.
He said Advocate Maseko was a ‘marked man’ hence their position while they were deeply saddened by his death, it has not completely shocked them. He said the killing of Advocate Maseko was expected.
But that is the reality of our times in his region whose political leaders speak glowingly of their commitment to human rights and the rule of law, Advocate Mda said.
He said the Amaswati have in the past called on SADC to do all in its powers to intervene “and it has the capacity to do so if it had the political will to push for meaningful constitutional reforms in that country”.
Sadly, he said, all those calls have been met with half-hearted measures by the regional body. Advocate Mda said this happened even at the height of state sponsored killings of unarmed citizens whose only sin was to demand freedom from feudalism.
“How many more Thulani Masekos and ordinary Amaswati have to die at the hands of hired assassins for SADC to intervene decisively in Eswatini?” he said.
Advocate Mda pleaded for an independent investigation into the assassination of Advocate Maseko. Meanwhile, a local rights organisation Transformation Resources Centre (TRC), has also condemned the killing.
The TRC said it has “learned with grave concern and deep sadness the cold-blooded killing of Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer who was gunned down at his home in Eswatini”.
“The centre expresses (its) condolences to the bereaved family and peace-loving citizens of Eswatini for the brazen assassination of this human rights defender,” the TRC said.
They also called for the government of Eswatini to ensure that the heinous killing of a bulwark of democracy and change is fully investigated and perpetrators prosecuted in a fair trial. The TRC called for the setting up of an independent commission of inquiry to probe the circumstances surrounding the assassination.
The Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) also released a statement pleading with the SADC Heads of State and Government and the SADC Panel of Elders to urgently fulfill the commitment to facilitate a SADC-led National Dialogue process in Eswatini to find a permanent resolution to the crisis in the country.
“We will stand in solidarity with the people of SADC to seek accountability for this killing and will not rest until we see justice for Thulani,” the SAPSN statement reads.
It pleaded with SADC leaders to act decisively and stop the systematic violence and abuse of those seeking the democratisation of Africa’s last absolute monarchy.
“We urge President Cyril Ramaphosa and the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation to immediately release the Fact-Finding Mission Report of October 2021.
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