BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Former Siphofaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane will now be exposed by his asylum status in the United Kingdom (UK).
This was said by Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo, who was reacting to the new development, where Simelane was reportedly granted this status. According to Times of Eswatini SUNDAY, which reported on the matter yesterday, Simelane would be able to get a passport from that country, which would enable him to travel to 153 countries around the globe.
The news was met with joy from many Emaswati, who sounded happy with the development. This news also prompted Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) to issue a statement yesterday, thanking the UK Government for granting this status to Simelane.
However, Government is of the view that the asylum status might expose Simelane. “His status in the UK, also gives Eswatini an advantage of knowing the exact location of Magawugawu, in case we want to apply for his extradition in future. We now know where exactly to go with our application papers,” Nxumalo said.
Nxumalo said the onus would now be upon the Government of the UK to ensure that Simelane did not violate the rules and regulations provided for by International Law that governed the conduct of refugees.
According to the Government Spokesperson, the asylum status given to Simelane only changed his status of staying in the UK. Nxumalo further said Simelane’s asylum status did not change his status of being a fugitive of law, who bolted away from Eswatini at a time when he was required to appear in court and prove his innocence over the charges he was facing.
He said it was obviously no big deal to Government that Simelane had been granted asylum in the UK. He reminded Emaswati that in the past history of this country, Prince Dumisa lived in the UK for a long time. In the recent past history of the country, according to Nxumalo, former spouse to the late Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, Joy Maziya, was granted the same status and currently lives in the UK.
He also stated that in the height of the political conflict in Zimbabwe between ZANU – PF and MDC, many MDC members fled Zimbabwe to UK for asylum and were granted the same. In recent times, when Mainland China introduced the national security law in Hong Kong, hundreds and even thousands, of the people of that country flee to the UK and were granted asylum.
Nxumalo narrated that some Emaswati lived in what he termed self-imposed exile in the Republic of South Africa. “I remember Chief Mliba Fakudze of Macetjeni whom in 2004, I and the late Prince Mfanasibili went to Amsterdam in South Africa and engaged him with a view to bring him and his family back to Eswatini. He returned back home the following year of 2005,” he said.
Therefore, Nxumalo said there was nothing out of the ordinary by Emaswati who resided in other countries for one reason or the other. The national security law introduced by Beijing (Mainland China) established four particular crimes: secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign organisations.
Amongst the sanctions to be meted out against those found guilty, according to Nxumalo, is that they will not be ever allowed to stand for public office. Nxumalo believed that granting of asylum status to Simelane or anybody else for that matter, was not headline/front page news item for any fundamental reason. It was just business as usual.
