By Lungani Zungu
A well-known human rights lawyer in eSwatini, Thulani Maseko, was shot dead on Saturday.
His murder came barely hours after King Mswati III issued a chilling warning against pro-democracy groups.
Maseko’s death was confirmed by his wife, Tanele Maseke, according to the New Zimbabwe.
Maseko – a major critic of King Mswati’s iron-fist rule for over three decades – was shot through a window of his home in Luyengo.
“Assassins shot him through the window while he was inside the house with his family,” said Sikelela Dlamini, spokesperson for opposition parties.
It came shortly after Mswati is said to have warned his detractors that his men would deal with them.
“These people started the violence first but when the state institutes a crackdown on them for their actions, they make a lot of noise blaming King Mswati for bringing in mercenaries,” the king was quoted as saying.
Maseko was the chairperson of the MultiStakeholder Forum, which exposed human rights abuses in eSwatini and openly placed Mswati at the centre of them.
This led to his name being added onto the king’s list of enemies. In 2014, Maseko was jailed for contempt of court for his articles which were critical of the government and the judiciary.
The kingdom has been in the grip of unrest for many years. It intensified around 2021 after many disgruntled residents plucked up the courage to challenge Mswati, calling for political reforms.
Many people have been killed and some have disappeared without a trace since the unrest. Scores of others have been jailed without trial, according to the People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), the biggest opposition party in Swaziland.
Maseko’s death has drawn an immediate backlash against the government – which is filled with Mswati’s henchmen.
Zimbabwe-based journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said on Twitter: “The tragic assassination of a Swazi human rights lawyer is a chilling reminder of how the corrupt political elites are prepared to do anything to shut down pro-democracy voices.”
Pictured above: The slain human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko
Image source: @SwaziNews
