By Bahle Gama
The High Court has had to postpone incarcerated former MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube’s matter to April 30.
This was said by Judge Mumcy Dlamini in open court after the crown and the suspects’ attorneys approached her in chambers to request to have the matter postponed.
The lawyers met with Judge Mumcy in chambers where they told the court that Mabuza had raised concerns with them which needed to be resolved with his lawyers.
The attorneys told the court that the concerns raised by Mabuza were about his two South African advocates who were not present in court and requested that the matter be postponed.
The two advocates were last seen in their last court appearance on February 22 when Mabuza and Dube mitigated before the court.
The Crown did not oppose the application and the matter was postponed to April 30.
The former MPs were on July 25, 2021, arrested and charged with suppressing the Terrorism Act and murder, after they incited members of the public to riot against the Government of Eswatini in 2021, during the political unrest, which resulted in the loss of life and destruction of public and private property.
Mabuza was acquitted of the offence of breaching the Covid-19 regulations which he allegedly committed during a community meeting that was attended by about 2,000 people at Hosea Inkhundla in June 2021.
Mabuza and Dube had denied the evidence led by the crown’s witnesses and insisted that all they did was explain the constitutional rights to the people of Eswatini.
They told the court that banning the delivery of petitions was unlawful and denied that the riot by the people was birthed by their encouragement to have emaSwati continue with the delivery of their petitions.
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When delivering the verdict on June 1, 2023, Judge Mumcy set our nine reasons why she found the former MPs guilty of inflicting violence during the unrest and murder.
In their last appearances, Mabuza and Dube mitigated before the court.
Mabuza was the first on February 21, and in his three-hour-long mitigation, he told the court that he was not guilty of everything that had led to his incarceration.
He said this was because he was fighting for the constitutional right of emaSwati as instructed by the people of Hosea who elected him to parliament and others from different parts of the country where he operated his businesses.
He told the court that he is a family man, with two wives, 16 children, and a disabled mother, all of whom questioned where he disappeared off to as they are also unable to visit him in prison.
Dube on the other hand expressed his heartbreak over the burning of businesses and the people who died during the June 2021 unrest.
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Dube told the court that when they were arrested, he learned of the damage that was caused by people who wanted to satisfy their agendas in businesses around the country, as well as the death of emaSwati.
The former MP pleaded that when Judge Mumcy hands down sentencing, she puts into consideration his submissions before the court.
These include the poverty he foresees striking his children should his incarceration be continued, as well as his mother’s health, whom he has been taking care of.