Murder case
Sipho Jele was a former employee at Swaziland's only pulp mill, and was studying engineering at the time of his death. He had been charged with high treason in a high-profile trial in 2006, [4] [5] accused of taking part in a bombing campaign, but was acquitted along with all the other accused.
According to Sipho Jele's aunt, who had previously worked as a nurse for 30 years and who saw the body, there were several indications that he had not committed suicide as claimed by the Swazi police, including a swollen face, blood having come out of his nostrils, and the fact that he hadn't soiled himself – as is commonly the case with those who have hanged themselves. The police officers in whose custody Jele was claimed they didn't kill him, although they admitted to have broken protocol on several accounts when arresting and detaining Jele. [6]
The Swazi regime has been much criticised in relation to Jele's death especially by Swazi democracy organisations, foreign unions such as Cosatu, [7] and South African, [8] American [9] and Danish newspapers [2] and websites, as well as NGOs. [10] [11]
An independent investigation into the cause of the death was promised on 7 May by the Prime Minister of Swaziland. [12] According to evidence given by Manzini-based police officers at this inquest, Sipho Jele was taken out of his cell to be interrogated for hours, although the evidence given by police officers and jailers was conflicting on several points. [13] The director of public prosecutions, Mumcy Dlamini, testified at the same trial that Jele had told him he feared being "tubed", i.e. assaulted and suffocated, by police and therefore had asked Dlamini to be transferred to Sidvwashini.
Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, south, and southeast. At no more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) north to south and 130 kilometres (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.
The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) is the official armed national military of the Southern African Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland). It is used primarily during domestic protests, with some border and customs duties; the force has never been involved in a foreign conflict. The army has struggled with high rates of HIV infection. Since measures were put in place the rate is dropping.
Artifacts indicating human activity dating back to the early Stone Age have been found in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The earliest known inhabitants of the region were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. Later, the population became predominantly Nguni during and after the great Bantu migrations. People speaking languages ancestral to the current Sotho and Nguni languages began settling no later than the 11th century. The country now derives its name from a later king named Mswati II. Mswati II was the greatest of the fighting kings of Eswatini, and he greatly extended the area of the country to twice its current size. The people of Eswatini largely belong to a number of clans that can be categorized as Emakhandzambili, Bemdzabu, and Emafikamuva, depending on when and how they settled in Eswatini.
Mswati III is the king of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He was born in Manzini in the Protectorate of Swaziland to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger wives, Ntfombi Tfwala. He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, thus becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time. Together with his mother, Ntfombi Tfwala, now Queen Mother (Ndlovukati), he rules the country as an absolute monarch. Mswati III is known for his practice of polygamy and currently has 15 wives.
The People's United Democratic Movement is the largest opposition party in Eswatini. It is a democratic socialist party. Formed in 1983 at the University of Eswatini, it is led by Mlungisi Makhanya. The Swazi government has been monitoring PUDEMO closely since it launched the Ulibambe Lingashoni campaign, which aims for a "total liberation" of Eswatini, and has recently cracked down heavily on even small manifestations of support for PUDEMO, such as the death in custody of PUDEMO member Sipho Jele, who was arrested for wearing a PUDEMO t-shirt in May 2010.
Mario Thembeka Masuku was a Swazi politician who was the leader of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Eswatini's banned opposition party.
Prince Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini was a Swazi politician who served as Prime Minister of Eswatini, from 1996 to 2003 and again from October 2008 to September 2018.
The Swaziland United Democratic Front is a coalition of pro-democracy interests including political parties, unions and churches. The Swaziland United Democratic Front was formed on 2 February 2008 at the Tum’s George Hotel in Manzini, Swaziland, attended by 120 persons from various organizations but mainly from the following:
Barnes Dlamini is the president of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU). Barnes was unanimously elected president at the SFTU congress in 2009, after having served at its vice president for four years. Barnes is also the president of the Swaziland United Democratic Front.
Pius Vilakati is a Swazi democracy activist, as well as the former President of the University of Swaziland Student Representative Council (SRC) and a former prominent member of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS).
Eswatini, Africa's last remaining absolute monarchy, was rated by Freedom House from 1972 to 1992 as "Partly Free"; since 1993, it has been considered "Not Free". During these years the country's Freedom House rating for "Political Rights" has slipped from 4 to 7, and "Civil Liberties" from 2 to 5. Political parties have been banned in Eswatini since 1973. A 2011 Human Rights Watch report described the country as being "in the midst of a serious crisis of governance", noting that "[y]ears of extravagant expenditure by the royal family, fiscal indiscipline, and government corruption have left the country on the brink of economic disaster". In 2012, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) issued a sharp criticism of Eswatini's human-rights record, calling on the Swazi government to honor its commitments under international law in regards to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. HRW notes that owing to a 40% unemployment rate and low wages that oblige 80% of Swazis to live on less than US$2 a day, the government has been under "increasing pressure from civil society activists and trade unionists to implement economic reforms and open up the space for civil and political activism" and that dozens of arrests have taken place "during protests against the government's poor governance and human rights record".
Major-General Stanley Sobantu Dlamini was the commander of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (USDF) from August 2000 until he was succeeded by Sipho Tshabalala in 2019. He originally joined the USDF in the spring of 1977.
Prince Sozisa Dlamini of Swaziland was Chief of Gundvwini. He became the Authorized Person of Swaziland from 1982 to 1985 after the death of King Sobhuza II, and in 1983 was briefly the acting Regent of the country, after he deposed Queen Dzeliwe. From 1983 he was Authorized Person to the new Queen Regent, Ntombi, with greater powers. Although lacking the title, he was for most purposes the de facto ruler of the country. He fell from power in July 1984, after being accused of planning a coup, and was suspended as Authorized Person until Queen Ntombi terminated his appointment on 1 November 1985.
Maxwell Dlamini is the Secretary General of SWAYOCO and the former President of the University of Swaziland Students Representative Council. During the so-called "April 12 Swazi Uprising" in April 2011, he and fellow activist Musa Ngubeni were arrested on charges of possession of explosives under Sections 8 and 9 of Swaziland’s Explosives Act 4 of 1961. They were both allegedly tortured and were subsequently refused bail. They were imprisoned at the Manzini Remand Centre.
Wonder Mkhonza is a national leader of the banned political party in Swaziland, the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). He was elected the National Organising Secretary at PUDEMO's 2011 congress. Prior to this position he was the Deputy Secretary General, a position he held till the last congress. He has served PUDEMO in various levels including chairperson of Nhlangano Branch of PUDEMO, Chairperson of the Shiselweni Region of PUDEMO, which is also the home region of the President Mario Masuku. Mkhonza also sits in the National Disciplinary Committee of PUDEMO.
Moneni Pirates FC is a Eswatinii soccer club based in Manzini. They play in the top division in Swazi football. The team plays in white and black colors.
Qinisile Mabuza is a Swazi Judge, and was the first female Judge appointed in Swaziland. She was also the first female attorney when she was appointed in 1978.
David Thabo Simelane is a Swazi serial killer sentenced to death for the murder of 28 women, but is suspected of murdering 45.
Mantfombi Shiyiwe Dlamini Zulu was the queen consort of the Zulu nation from 1977 to 2021 as the Great Wife to King Goodwill Zwelithini. She served as the queen regent from March 2021 to April 2021.
The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) was a national trade union center in Swaziland. It was founded in 1983 and dissolved into the Trade Union Congress of Eswatini (TUCOSWA) in 2012.
