Phathizwe Zulu
02 June 2023•Update: 02 June 2023
MANZINI, Eswatini
The Eswatini government on Friday slammed the US Embassy in the landlocked Southern African nation for issuing a statement regarding the sentencing of two politicians by the high court in the capital Mbabane, describing it as interference in the sovereign country's judiciary.
The spokesperson for the government Alpheous Nxumalo said in a statement that the Kingdom of Eswatini has never interfered and meddled in the internal affairs of any sovereign country. “The genuine question now is what right does the USA Embassy in Eswatini have to interfere with our Kingdom’s judicial verdicts?” he asked.
On Thursday, a high court in Mbabane convicted two former members of parliament, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, almost two years after their arrest, of inciting unrest during protests for “political reforms” in the country that resulted in the loss of lives.
Shortly after the verdict, the US embassy issued a statement, urging the government of Eswatini to uphold transparency in judicial proceedings, protect the integrity of the rule of law, and protect human rights.
“The US embassy is deeply disappointed by the June 1 guilty verdict for members of parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube,” the embassy stated.
“We call on the government of Eswatini to exercise transparency in judicial processes and protect the rule of law and human rights. All Emaswati must have equal protection under the law, including those who voice dissent or call for non-violent reform,” it added.
In response to the embassy statement, Eswatini government spokesman Nxumalo stated that "the USA government created Guantanamo Bay (in Cuba) to incarcerate the so-called terrorists" in violation of international law, sparking outrage from rights organizations, but the Eswatini government did not intervene or comment.
The spokesperson said the US was plagued by political chaos on Jan. 6, 2021, referring to vandalism on Capitol Hill by supporters of former US President Donald Trump.
But the Eswatini government did not issue a statement to the media on the matter, according to the spokesman.
