/ 14 November 2000

SWAZI DEMO PEACEFUL, DESPITE ARRESTS

THOUSANDS of pro-democracy protestors in Swaziland dispersed peacefully after crippling the business centres in the kingdom’s two major cities of Mbabane and Manzini for over three-hours at the start of a two-day anti-government strike on Monday. Large police and army squads surrounded the chanting protestors, but no damage or injuries were reported and demonstrators dispersed voluntarily after midday. Police also used a dreaded 60-day detention-without-trial law to arrest three opposition leaders during demonstrations in Manzini and Swaziland’s southern district of Nhlengano. – African Eye News Service