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