Thulani is a human rights lawyer and a pro-democracy activist who repeatedly defended political activists and trade unions in and outside the courts. He represented Mario Masuku, president of the banned opposition party, the People’s United Democratic Movement, and Sipho Jele on their pro-democracy struggles, which the state had termed treasonable. Recently, he challenged the constitutionality of the de-registration of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland at the High Court. Bheki is the editor of The Nation magazine, a monthly periodical that is one of the few independent voices in the country calling for government accountability and democratic change.

Thulani and Bheki were arrested and detained on 17 March 2014 and 18 March 2014 respectively for writing articles about the circumstances surrounding the arrest of government vehicle inspector, Bhantshana Gwebu, and the lack of integrity, impartiality and independence of the Swaziland judiciary. After a trial with numerous flaws and irregularities demonstrating a bias against them, both of them were convicted of contempt of court on 17 July 2014. However, instead of the ordinary 30-day sentence, they were sentenced to two years imprisonment on 25 July 2014, underscoring the political (and jaundiced) nature of their trial and sentence.

We send our full solidarity to them and their families and believe that their role in the struggle for genuine democracy and fundamental rights in sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarchy deserves recognition.

The winners of the 2014 Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Award will be selected by an independent jury and announced at the occasion of the ordinary session of the Africa Commission on Human and People’s Rights in Niamey in October 2014.

Action for Southern Africa

African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation
Afrika Kontakt

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

Botswana Federation of Trade Unions

Canadian Labour Congress

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Kenya

Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at American University Washington
College of Law

Confédération des Syndicats du Burundi

Confédération des syndicats libres du Burundi

Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs de Centrafrique

Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Togo

Confédération Syndicale du Congo

Congress of South African Trade Unions

Danish Confederation of Trade Unions

Education International

Federation Of Somali Trade Unions

Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice - Swaziland

Freedom House

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Swasiland

Human Rights Institute of South Africa

IndustriAll

International Commission of Jurists

International Trade Union Confederation

International Transport Workers’ Federation

International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations

Media Institute of Southern Africa

Nigeria Labour Congress

Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions

Organisation Nationale des Syndicats Libres Burkina Faso

People’s United Democratic Movement

Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights

Sendika Krisitianina Malgasy - Conf. Chrétienne des Syndicats Malgaches

Sierra Leone Labour Congress

Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations

Swaziland Concerned Church Leaders

Swaziland Lawyers for Human Rights

Swaziland National Association of Teachers

Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers Union

Swaziland Youth Congress

Trade Union Congress of Swaziland

Trades Union Congress (GB)

UNI Global Union Africa

Unifor Canada

Union Générale des Travailleurs de Côte d’Ivoire

Union Nationale des Syndicats Autonomes Mauritanie

Union Nationale des Syndicats des Travailleurs du Bénin

Union nationale des travailleurs du Congo

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum