Police interfered in a peaceful protest march organised by TUCOSWA and attended by broader civil society groups against the King’s Proclamation of 1973 and its impact on freedom of association and civil liberties. The King’s Proclamation was decreed on 12 April 1973 and vested the King Sobhuza II with absolute powers and at the same time criminalised political parties and similar bodies.
“I, Sobhuza II, king of Swaziland hereby declare that, in collaboration with my cabinet ministers and supported by the whole nation I have assumed supreme power in the kingdom of Swaziland and that all legislative, executive and judicial power is vested in myself and shall, for the meantime, be exercised in collaboration with a council constituted by my cabinet ministers. I further declare that, to ensure the continued maintenance of peace, order and good government, my armed forces in conjunction with the Swaziland royal police have been posted to all strategic places and have taken charge of all government and all public services […] Political parties and similar bodies that cultivate and bring about disturbances and ill-feelings within the nation are prohibited.”
TUCOSWA requested permission to hold a march but on 4 April 2014 the Manzini Municipal Council denied the federation permission by stating that “April 12 is one most contentious date on which peace and stability in the country is threatened.” The march was intended to proceed from Jubilee Park to St Theresa Hall in Manzini on 12 April 2014. Vincent V. Ncongwane, TUCOSWA General Secretary, and Sipho Kunene, TUCOSWA Deputy President, were arrested at a security roadblock mounted at Mhlaleni in Manzini on 12 April. They were detained at the Manzini police headquarters and were denied access to legal representation. Vincent Ncongwane was transferred to the Mafutseni police station 20 kilometers from Manzini. The police further arrested other groups of workers at all the various security checkpoints mounted on the roadblocks leading to Manzini, detained and later dropped them off in remote places with some having to travel long distances on foot at night to get to the nearest public road. Amongst them were the President of the National Public Services and Allied Workers Union, Quinton Dlamini, and the General Secretary of the Private and Public, Transport Workers Union, Bheki Dludlu.
