Communist Party of Swaziland supporters rally for May Day, 2024 -- image via the CPS on Facebook
Comrades of the Communist Party of Swaziland have launched a campaign for the release of Bonginkosi Bhongo Nkambule, a Communist political prisoner in Eswatini, one of the last absolute monarchies in the world.
4TH NOVEMBER 2024
It’s been 299 days since Comrade Bonginkosi Bhongo Nkambule, a young and resilient member of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), was imprisoned at Sidvwashini Correctional Facility. Arrested on January 10, 2024, Bongi faces a charge of terrorism under the infamous Suppression of Terrorism Act No.3 of 2008—a piece of legislation notorious for enabling political persecution in Eswatini.
Despite the regime’s efforts to portray him as a criminal, it’s clear the charges against him are unfounded, an attempt to stifle the voice of revolution, to contain a wave that can only grow stronger. His detention reflects not only the cruelty of the Swazi monarchy but also a broader history of repression targeting those who dare to challenge an unjust system. Comrade Bongi’s imprisonment is a painful reminder that in Eswatini, to fight for justice and equality is to risk one’s freedom.
In a truly democratic society, people are free to think, to speak, and to act according to their beliefs. Marxism teaches us that ideological struggle is the engine of social progress. But Eswatini’s ruling regime, ever fearful of losing control, uses the pretence of “anti-terrorism” laws to cage voices that speak for the oppressed. Bongi’s arrest and prolonged detention demonstrate how the system weaponizes fear and control to silence political opposition.
In Comrade Bonginkosi’s case, his "crime" is his commitment to a vision where Swazis have control over their land, resources, and governance—a vision deeply rooted in the belief that the people are sovereign. Comrade Bonginkosi embodies the principle that all revolutionary movements carry: the dream of a society that values justice, equality, and freedom from exploitation. His persecution sends a chilling message to every Swazi who dreams of change: in this system, belief in justice and freedom is seen as a threat.
To the oppressor, anyone who speaks against the state is deemed a criminal. But history tells us that political prisoners are often the heroes, the voices of those who dare to envision a world beyond the prison walls. Political prisoners stand for ideals, not personal gain, and for the Communist Party of Swaziland, Comrade Bongi represents the struggle for the people's rights, the dream of a socialist society where no Swazi lives in fear of persecution.
Lenin once said, “Where there is oppression, there will be resistance.” Political prisoners like Comrade Bonginkosi are not “terrorists”—they are part of a revolutionary vanguard resisting a system designed to crush the dreams of ordinary people. While the state brands them criminals, they are truly the vanguards of freedom, exposing the contradictions of a system that imprisons those who fight for human rights and justice. In the struggle for socialism, leaders like Comrade Comrade Bonginkosi Nkambule become symbols of resistance, figures who inspire others to believe that revolution is not only necessary but inevitable.
Comrade Bonginkosi’s imprisonment underscores the need to confront injustice, not in words but through concrete action. For Marxists, justice isn’t a vague ideal; it’s a material reality built by those who demand it. Human rights cannot exist in a system that prioritizes the wealth and comfort of the ruling elite over the needs of the masses. In Eswatini, the monarchy and its allies create laws to protect their own interests, defining “justice” as obedience and servitude. But as revolutionaries, we reject this twisted logic. To stand for human rights is to recognize that until the oppressors no longer hold power, injustice will prevail.
The CPS has long held that Bonginkosi’s fight for justice is inseparable from the broader struggle against exploitation, a struggle rooted in the belief that “an injury to one is an injury to all.” Comrade Bongi’s prolonged detention is a rallying cry for all revolutionaries and citizens to demand an end to these draconian measures. It’s a call for unity against a regime that has abused its people for too long.
Comrade Bonginkosi’s detention is not merely an act of cruelty; it’s a calculated strategy. The regime understands that every day he spends in prison weakens his voice, isolates him from the movement, and saps the strength of those on the outside fighting for freedom. This tactic—dragging out legal processes, withholding trials, delaying justice—is a hallmark of oppressive regimes that hope to wear down their opponents.
In the meantime, the conditions at Sidvwashini Correctional Facility reflect the true cruelty of the state. Reports from the facility describe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of basic necessities. These brutal conditions are designed to break the spirit, to erode the will to resist. But they cannot break the revolutionary spirit within Comrade Bonginkosi. Every day he endures this hardship, he strengthens the collective resolve of those who support him, both in Eswatini and beyond. For every day he spends unjustly behind bars, the monarchy’s cruelty and repression become more evident.
The Communist Party demands the unconditional release of Comrade Bonginkosi and all political prisoners currently incarcerated for their political convictions and secure a future without prisoners of conscience. The Communist Party calls on the Mass Democratic Movement forces to unite and support the Break the Chains Campaign for the purpose of helping people organise better and wage a successful revolution against the Tinkhundla regime. The people must unite and undermine the institutions and instruments of the oppressor.
CPS calls on communities in particular the urban poor and rural communities to establish Community Councils to address the people’s security and welfare needs. CPS has faith in the people’s ability and capacity to govern themselves and undermine the key pillars of the regime’s control and ideological institutions.
The Communist Party of Swaziland calls on the International Community to exert pressure and isolate the regime from all democratic institutions. CPS further calls on the international community to impose sanctions on the regime including embargo on arms and ammunition.
Down with Mswati autocracy!
Down with tinkhundla Capitalism!
Down with Imperialism!
Long live spirit of resistance!
Long live spirit of non-surrender!
Forward to democratic victory!
Forward to the people’s republic!
Thokozane Kenneth Kunene
General Secretary
(+27)72 594 3971
Lwazi Maseko
Media and Propaganda Personnel
+268 7627 9355
Email: cpswa.org@gmail.com
Facebook: Communist Party Of Swaziland – CPS
X (formerly Twitter): @CPSwaziland
Website: https://cp-swa.org/-
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