About a dozen opposition members, accused of carrying out a spate of firebombings in Swaziland, have been beaten in prison, a defence lawyer told a high court on Thursday.
Three of the 16, accused of high treason, stated they were attacked late on Wednesday by about 50 prison warders, who shoved them against a wall and stripped some of them naked, on the eve of their bail hearing, lawyer Bongani Mdluli said.
The attack occurred after the court heard on Wednesday that nine of the 16 defendants had been mistreated since their arrest in December.
”My Lord, it is very disturbing that last night more than 50 warders stormed cells D1 and D4 and beat up, namely Mfanawenkhosi Mntshali, Vusi Shongwe and Sipho Hlophe, who can hardly follow the proceedings, your worship,” Mdluli told the packed courtroom.
”As an officer of the court, I want to bring this to the attention of the court: that the country’s constitution is explicitly clear on torture, but there are still people who work against the spirit of the constitution,” he said.
The 16 men are said to be members of the banned opposition People’s United Democratic Movement, which wants an end to King Mswati III’s autocratic rule.
They are accused of carrying out a series of firebombings on government offices and the residences of senior government employees since October.
Two schools and houses at a police camp have also been targeted in arson attacks since January in the small mountainous country wedged between South Africa and Mozambique.
The leadership of the banned group has denied that it carried out the bombings, while acknowledging that Swazis are angry at the way Africa’s last absolute monarchy is governed.
Mswati, who ascended to the throne nearly 20 years ago, lives in luxury with 13 wives while most of the population struggles with abject poverty, food shortages and high rates of HIV/Aids.
At the bail hearing before the high court, Mdluli named a prison officer, Puma Zwane, as the one of those allegedly responsible for the beatings in Sidvwashini prison in Mbabane.
A ruling on the bail application is expected on Friday. — Sapa-AP