Eswatini - Basil Thwala imprisoned (2013)

Basil Thwala, a paralegal officer at the Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union, was arrested on a picket line at the bus station in Manzini following a major bus transport demonstration organised by STAWU in July 2012. Basil was charged and convicted for offences under both the Road Traffic Act and the Public Order Act for being in the front of the bus station protest. He was arrested and taken to a police station where he was not given food or a sleeping blanket. In fact, he had to spend several nights sleeping on the cold floor. Although Basil was initially granted bail, it was later revoked on the basis that he had breached his bail conditions by travelling to a place outside the restriction stipulated in the bail terms. No witnesses appeared in court to verify this allegation. In fact, his bail revocation was pronounced by the High Court of Swaziland when he was not even present in the court. Basil eventually ended up being sentenced to two years imprisonment. He lodged an appeal two months after his conviction, but there was never any indication that it was under consideration. It took the courts less than a month to convict him, but his appeal, filed on a certificate of urgency, was never dealt with. Basil was finally released after serving his full sentence.