THE leader of Swaziland’s main opposition, Mario Masuku, was arrested and taken to prison in Mbabane on Thursday after defying bail conditions imposed on him following a charge of sedition. Masuku, head of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), was charged with sedition a year ago in the tiny landlocked kingdom, ruled by absolute monarch King Mswati III. On Thursday morning Masuku made a brief appearance before the High Court of Swaziland for breach of his bail conditions, before being taken to Sidvwashini Prison in the capital in the afternoon. “This is what I was expecting … I hope that now (I) will have this matter tried and be convicted if found guilty,” Masuku said before police took him to his cell. Chief Justice Stanley Sapire remanded his case until October 29. One of Masuku’s bail conditions — when the High Court charged him with sedition on November 14 2000 — was that he should report to the Mbabane Police Station before noon every day. About two weeks ago Masuku led his organisation in its fifth General Congress, held in the Kwazulu-Natal province of South Africa as all political parties are banned in Swaziland. Masuku was re-elected as president and members passed a resolution that he should stop reporting to the police so that they could arrest him. – AFP