*Demand Justice
By Michael Oche
Trade union organizations across Africa have expressed outrage over the assassination of Thulani Rudolf Maseko, a renowned Swaziland Human Rights lawyer and activist.
Maseko was killed on Saturday by gunmen in his own home at Ka Luhleko, and many have pointed accusing fingers at the Swazi Monarchy for ordering the assassination.
The death of the human rights lawyer comes a few hours after King Mswati warned those calling for democracy that his mercenaries would deal with them.
ITUC-Africa deputy General Secretary, Comrade Akhator Joel Odigie while reacting, said the African Trade movement and the International Labour fraternity will ensure justice for the family of the human rights lawyer.
He said, “We demand thorough investigation. The regime has been assassinating people. But this is the highest profile killing. And this will not be ignored. We will demand total justice for the family of Maseko.”
A statement issued by the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) on Sunday, called on world leaders to “help end the suffering” of the Swazi people at the hands of the monarch.
The statement signed by SSN acting spokesperson, Mfanafuthi Tsela noted that “This killing of comrade Thulani, is the clearest indication of the lengths to which Mswati will go, to cling on to power. However, never in the history of mankind has a determined people been defeated, no matter how mighty the enemy they are fighting. King Mswati will not defeat the people of Swaziland, no matter how many he kills or exiles. He will fall.”
Furthermore, the stated reads: “let this tragic death of Maseko serve as a springboard for unity and a collective effort in the fight against this tyrant. Let it galvanize the entire Swazi nation into united and determined action against this oppressive tinkhundla regime and all its traditional structures which it uses to oppress them. Let Mswati not rest but feel the wrath of a united Mass Democratic Movement working hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. Let the entire Swazi nation rise in unison and fight against this oppressive regime of Mswati.”
Comrade Maseko spent his youth and adult life opposed to the oppressive royalist regime. In 2014 his deeply enlightening articles, published in a national magazine, landed him in jail for two years. His article had exposed the manner in which the judicial system was heavily skewed and politicised. His bravery and selflessness won him the coveted Southern Africa Shield award, which is an award that honours “exceptional individuals who have contributed to changes in their community by peacefully promoting and protecting human rights”.
Following his release from prison, Maseko immersed himself into his passion, which was defending the rights of ordinary Swazis against the openly oppressive king Mswati regime. He was held in high esteem by his peers in the legal fraternity as a member of the Lawyers for Human Rights and the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network.
Consequent to the bloody June 2021 unrest in which the Swazi state’s armed forces massacred over eighty unarmed Swazis, Maseko was elected to be the chairperson of the Multi Stakeholder Forum (MSF), a forum composed of various civic groups. He held this position until he was brutally executed on Saturday
