Swaziland – 6 March 2015

280 DAYS IN JAIL FOR MARIO, MAXWELL
by Nkululeko Gama
PEOPLE United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) President Mario Masuku and Maxwell Dlamini made an appearance yesterday before High Court Judge Mpendulo Simelane for a remand, 280 days after their arrest.
Dlamini is the Secretary General of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), a youth wing of PUDEMO.
The two were arrested during the Workers Day celebration on May 1, 2014 and have been languishing behind bars since then after numerous bail applications were turned down by High court Judge Mpendulo Simelane who held that they might try to escape trial and poses a threat to public safety.
Swazi Observer

SD SIGNS E160 MILLION LOAN FOR MANZINI-MBADLANE HIGHWAY
By Joseph Zulu
MBABANE – Swaziland has signed a 20-year loan of E160 million with the Kuwait Fund to finance the construction of the Manzini-Mbadlane Highway.
The highway is part of the road that leads to King Mswati III (KMIII) International Airport in Sikhupe. A signing ceremony for the loan was held at the Ministry of Finance yesterday.
Times of Swaziland

ROOTS APPLICATION IN E73M TENDER DISMISSED
By Kwanele Dlamini
MBABANE – Judge Bheki Maphalala has dismissed an application by Roots Civils (PTY) Ltd for an interdict of awarding of a tender and continuation of construction of the new Matsapha Industrial Estate Phase II.
Roots Civils ran to court where it filed an application to interdict the chairman of the Tender Board, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Enterprise and Employment from awarding the tender pending finalisation of the review in terms of the Procurement Act of 2011.
Times of Swaziland

Swaziland Not So Peaceful
By Swazi Media Commentary
Swaziland has become a less peaceful kingdom over the past seven years, according to a global report.
The findings of the Global Peace Index 2014 contradict a statement made by King Mswati III’s the kingdom’s absolute monarch, last week that ‘Swaziland was blessed because of the peace and tranquillity that existed among its people’.
It ranked Swaziland 87 out of 162 countries in the world. The Index measures ‘global peace’ by three themes: the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic or international conflict and the degree of militarisation. The report stated Swaziland’s score had deteriorated slightly since the last Index was published seven years ago.
Swazi Media Commentary