One of the arrested leaders was the chairperson of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) Dumisani Fakudze, who was the first to be arrested on Friday, following a warrant for his arrest which his party claimed was authorised by King Mswati III.
Other leaders who were freed included Wandile Dludlu of the People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo); Sibongile Mazibuko, president of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress; Sikelela Dlamini, general secretary of the teachers’ union, as well as trade unionist Jan Sithole.
Thokozane Kenneth Kunene, a CPS member who is living in exile in South Africa, said more arrest warrants were issued, but police failed to execute them.
“The police confiscated from our national chairperson many party documents which they deemed to have the potential of being treasonous due to their call for the democratisation of Swaziland,” Kunene said.
