Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION, MBABANE
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE ALLEGED DEATH OF FIVE SWAZI CITIZENS IN SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE CUSTODY.
The High Commission of the Republic of South Africa wishes to express its grave concern at misleading media reports on the alleged deaths, in South African police custody, of Five Swazi Nationals ("Times of Swaziland" and "Swazi Observer" of 28 May 1998), and claims that 10 widows "may die at anytime" due to illness. According to the reports, the dead and those said to be seriously ill are part of an alleged large group of 80 Swazi citizens who were recently arrested by the South African police.
For the record, the two reports constitute a gross misrepresentation of facts and should be strongly repudiated.
Firstly, only 69 Swazi nationals, not 80 as reported, were arrested by the South African police. No raids were conducted by the South African police in Swaziland as earlier alleged: all were arrested at pension pay points in the Pongola area when collecting pensions. 7 were arrested at Sibule paypoint, 10 at Rosendal paypoint, 2 at Mkwakeni paypoint, 1 at Altona paypoint, 4 at Highlands paypoint, 20 at Ncotshana paypoint, 1 at Belgrade paypoint and 3 at Kranskloof paypoint.
The charges they will all face is fraud in that it is alleged that they are all Swazi citizens in possession of fraudulently obtained South African Identity Documents and therefore not entitled to draw South African social welfare pensions. 28 are presently detained at the Vryheid Prison and 21 at the Pongola police station.
Further indications are that all are in good health and any complaint of ill-health will be attended to in line with international norms. Some have already received medical treatment at a local out-patient medical facility for common ailments like flu.
The suspects have already appeared before court and have been remanded to various dates in June 1998 where 38 will appear on the 1st of June 1998 for bail hearing and others will be appearing on the 8th, 23rd and 26th June 1998 for the same purpose.
We wish to also assure all concerned of the South African government's unwavering commitment to ensure that those detained are treated humanely and speedily brought to trial.
We support the call by the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Chief Dambuza Lukhele, against utterances and actions that could undermine and place inter-state relations in jeopardy.