CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Eswatini’s main opposition leader was poisoned in an assassination attempt, his party said Wednesday, sparking a new investigation into the killing of the Eswatini leader. the southern African country that is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies and where the authorities have been moving towards for years to suppress pro-democracy movements.
The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) party said its president, Mlungisi Makhanya, was hospitalized after being poisoned in neighboring South Africa on Tuesday. The party said he was under security protection but gave no further details about his condition or the circumstances of the alleged poisoning.
Makhanya had recently announced that new pro-democracy protests would take place in Eswatini next month.
Alpheous Nxumalo, spokesman for the Eswatini government, denied any involvement.
King Mswati III rules Eswatinia country of 1.2 million people, with power over all branches of government. The 56-year-old has been king since he succeeded his father in 1986 at the age of 18.
Human rights groups have criticized his regime, saying there is no room for dissent. They also accuse the security forces of brutally cracking down on pro-democracy activists.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, was shaken by pro-democracy protests in 2021the most serious challenge to Mswati’s rule. The protests have resulted in a backlash, with 46 deaths by security forces since then, according to Human Rights Watch.
The most shocking murder came last year when human rights lawyer and PUDEMO member Thulani Maseko was fatally shot in his home in front of his wife and children. Makhanya said at the time that his colleague’s murder was a political assassination. The government denied any involvement. No one has been held to account.
The alleged poisoning of Makhanya this week prompted reactions from South African political parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters party. It said Makhanya was found “invalid” at his home in South Africa just as he was set to lead pro-democracy protests next month, and blamed the “oppressive Mswati regime.”
Political parties were banned in Eswatini in the 1970s and the law has never been repealed, although Eswatini now allows some. The king still appoints the prime minister, the majority of the upper house and a minority of the lower house. Almost all representatives are loyal to the king and he has veto power and can make laws by decree.
Mswati III has more than a dozen wives and is accused of living an extravagant lifestyle while ordinary citizens in his country face dire poverty.
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