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Sunday 22 March 2009

REGIMENT EXPELS SWAZI DISSIDENT

Swazi dissident Mfomfo Nkhambule has been thrown out of his traditional regiment because he won’t stop advocating for democracy in Swaziland.


And he has also been stopped by his church from working as a preacher because his bishop disagrees with his views.


As expected, Nkhambule was told yesterday (21 March 2009) that his writings in the Times of Swaziland newspaper were too critical of King Mswati III and the ruling elite.


King Mswati is sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and despite a constitution published in 2005, the king has a firm hand on Swaziland, selecting the prime minister and the cabinet. All political parties are banned and the king makes all the important decisions. He and his government regularly ignore the provisions of the constitution.


According to a report in the Times Sunday today, Nkhambule, a former Swaziland Government cabinet minister and present chair of the Inhalva Forum political party was told he was expelled from the regiment at a meeting that lasted two minutes. He was also fined one cow.


Nkhambule said he would probably appeal the decision.


He told the Times Sunday, ‘"I will also continue writing my column in the Times of Swaziland.


‘I intend to fight this issue to the last pint of my blood. Submitting to their ruling would mean that being a Swazi is determined by them, when in actual fact that is not the case. I am a Swazi by birth; no one determines my nationality or cultural activities in which I take part.’


In a separate development, Nkhambule has been stopped from preaching at the church known as World Solutions Ministries.


The Times Sunday reported that Nkhambule disagreed with some of the church’s doctrines.


His church superior, Bishop Lucas is known to be a fervent supporter of King Mswati III.


Nkhambule has now started his own church.

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