We love, respect
MBABANE – MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza yesterday told the court that he and his co-accused love and respect the King.
In the second day of his evidence-in-chief, the Hosea Member of Parliament (MP) was asked by his representative, Advocate Jacobus Van Vuuren, for his comment on the alternative charge of sedition.
In the charge, MP Mabuza and his co-accused, MP Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi and former MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane, are alleged to have encouraged members of the public to disobey the ban on the physical delivery of petitions to constituency centres.
Banning
The advocate said to MP Mabuza; “The Crown alleges that you encouraged people to disobey the lawful banning of the petitions by government. By so doing, they say you brought into hatred the person of the King and government, which are lawfully established.”
MP Mabuza said that was not true. He said in their speeches, from Parliament and outside the House, the message in his speeches was that they loved the King.
“We love and respect the monarch. This appears even in the evidence in the form of videos, where it comes out that we say we love the King. We stated that we do not want people to use the name of Their Majesty’s in pursuit of what they want and paint Their Majesty’s in a negative manner.
“I emphasise that in my upbringing and from where I grew up, I never promoted insulting people. I condemn it at all costs. Even during our meetings, if a speaker was to use vulgar (language), I would have called them to order. It is even worse if we are going to talk about the King, because I know that the King is above the law,” MP Mabuza said.
Disrepute
The MP also denied that on June 24, 2021, he caused the public and people living in Eswatini to be discontent with the King. He said there was no truth in that. He further disputed that he put into disrepute the administration of justice in the country.
Advocate Van Vuuren told the MP that in another charge, he is accused of committing terrorist acts, which he disputed.
The advocate stated that MP Mabuza was alleged to have encouraged the members of the public in public statements to disobey the lawful ban on the delivery of petitions. “That is not true. I never in any of my speeches said people must go and deliver petitions. In the June 24, 2021 speech, I told members of the public about their constitutional rights. I use the same Constitution when executing my duties.
“In the speech, when I said no one can stop or tell you what to do, that included myself. I meant that no one could tell you when to go or sit. I have no power to tell people to go and deliver petitions,” MP Mabuza explained.
“They say the ban on the delivery of petitions was lawful,” said Advocate Van Vuuren.
MP Mabuza responded: “Like I said, it was unlawful because the delivery of the petitions is guaranteed by the Constitution. Secondly, the House had made a resolution on the issue (that the delivery of petitions should continue) and lastly, the acting prime minister, (Themba Masuku) should have followed the proper channels to change the resolution.”
The advocate went on to tell the MP that he had been accused of encour