The killing of Thulani Maseko

The statement addresses the killing of Thulani Maseko, a prominent advocate for democratic reform in Eswatini, and the broader context of state violence and political repression under the absolute monarchy of King Mswati III.

• Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer and chair of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF), was shot dead in his home in Manzini. While the government of Eswatini denied involvement, reports from Swaziland News suggest state police officers escorted the assassins to and from the scene.
• Eswatini is an absolute monarchy where the king possesses the power to appoint the prime minister and cabinet and dissolve parliament. The government uses the Suppression of Terrorism Act (2008) and the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (1938) to stifle criticism and suppress free speech, while a 1973 decree continues to ban political parties.
• Pro-democracy protests in July 2021, sparked by the killing of student Thabane Nkomonye, resulted in a violent security force crackdown that killed 50 people. Despite agreements between King Mswati III and President Ramaphosa to draft terms for a national dialogue via the SADC Secretariat, progress has stalled as the King has removed the crisis from SADC Summit agendas.
• There are allegations that the Eswatini government has hired mercenaries, including former South African apartheid operatives, to suppress opposition. This follows a public statement by King Mswati III asserting that "demonic elements" causing disharmony would be "eliminated in 2023".
• Significant economic disparity exists in Eswatini, where King Mswati III is estimated to be worth over $200 million and maintains a vast patronage network, while more than half of the 1.2 million population live below the poverty line.

APA

Buchanan-Clarke, S. (2023). The killing of Thulani Maseko. Good Governance Africa. https://gga.org/the-killing-of-thulani-maseko/

Chicago

Buchanan-Clarke, Stephen. The killing of Thulani Maseko. Good Governance Africa, 2023. https://gga.org/the-killing-of-thulani-maseko/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Buchanan-Clarke |first1=Stephen |title=The killing of Thulani Maseko |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=24 January 2023 |url=https://gga.org/the-killing-of-thulani-maseko/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{buchananclarke2023killing, author = {Buchanan-Clarke, Stephen}, title = {{The killing of Thulani Maseko}}, publisher = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://gga.org/the-killing-of-thulani-maseko/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }