MBABANE – Internal fights within the mass democratic movement (MDM) took another turn as a questionable audio surfaced where the June 2021 terrorist attacks were planned.
The unverified audio has a voice purportedly belonging to former Siphofaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane. Allegations are that it was released by members of the mass democratic movement (MDM) on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Though the voice note appears to have been heavily edited, the utterances attributed to Simelane were pieces from an alleged conversation between him and someone that is not in the audio. The recording further appears to have been taken during the peak of the political unrest in 2021. The audio content details ideas on how to put pressure on the government to give in to the demands for a dialogue.
Details were discussed on how structures, including His Majesty King Mswati III’s cars, fields and game reserves were to be burned. The audio also revealed that the burning of structures was to be carried out at night. It was suggested in the audio that schools, clinics and other essential service providers should be left out of the arson attacks because they were important to the nation. However, the arson attacks were to be escalated in stages, where the schools were to be attacked if there was still resistance toward a negotiated settlement. “A person should not attempt to go and operate outside of where they live but should look for government properties that are close to them but avoid schools for now,” it was said in a part of the audio.
The voice note also stated that the operations would be done in stages; leaving out schools, clinics and other institutions of essential service to the people. The discussions further suggested that it was better to re-build the schools after burning them down than to skip them. “At the moment, the Kungahlwa Kwenile project should look for properties such as his farms, royal kraals that are not cooperating. The burning of tyres on the road must be the order of the day. We need to block roads everywhere and every hundred metres there should be stones on the road. Where ever you are, just close the road next to you. We will give them a week or two and if they do not concede we will then upscale and start burning the schools,” elaborated the plan.
Terrorist
It is assumed that the audio was recorded in June 2021, at the height of the political unrest that left the country ravaged by fire from unknown arsonist, who operated at night. The sporadic terrorist attacks had no chain of command and it was not ascertained who could have been behind the plan that was aimed at bringing the government to its knees. Members of the mdm engaged on social media over the audio. Some questioned the rationale behind posting such an audio in a public forum, while others questioned its authenticity.
Facebook users made allegations that it was leaked on purpose and others claimed the audio was heavily edited. Simelane was one of the three MPs that were subsequently issued with a warrant of arrest for the 2021 political unrest. His two co-accused, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube of Hosea and Ngwempisi respectively, were apprehended, charged and found guilty of charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008.
A warrant of arrest was issued against Simelane on July 8, 2021, while the charge sheet brought to court against his co-accused reflected that he allegedly acted jointly with them to incite the people to revolt against the constitutionally established Government of Eswatini.
The two MPs are currently waiting for sentencing after Judge Mumcy Dlamini’s guilty verdict, while Simelane skipped the country and subsequently lost his seat in parliament. Similar to the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Yemen and Egypt, the series of political, social movements and defiance began with no physical command but social media posts and agitation. The political revolution led mostly by the youth on social media crumbled states in the Middle East and North Africa.
The 2021 political unrest lasted for months and escalated to the death of civilians and members of the security forces. Though no one has been arrested for the death of civilians. The Royal Eswatini Police Services have apprehended Thabo Kunene, who christened himself as the ‘commander’ of an underground group known as the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces (SISF), which took responsibility for the killings.
