By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Working Group has ‘ordered’ the Eswatini Government and King Mswati not only to release convicted pro-democracy Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza but, compensate him for unlawful conviction.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is a human rights body tasked with investigating cases of detention that are arbitrary or inconsistent with international standards, the UN released a ruling on the 15th October 2025 after investigating the politically motivated conviction of two(2) eSwatini pro-democracy MPs Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube 

But it transpired that after being advised that, the ruling might not be in favour of the eSwatini Government, the King through Justice Minister Prince Simelane allegedly manipulated the vulnerable situation of one of the MPs-Mthandeni Dube, tricked and convinced him to apologize and be released in what appeared to be a well-planned political strategy to control public opinion regarding the international pressure demanding the release of the Members of Parliament.

“The Working Group considers that, taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the appropriate remedy would be to release Messrs. Dube and Mabuza immediately and accord them an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law”, reads the ruling in part.

Acting eSwatini Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

On another note, a delegation of Eswatini MPs led by Deputy Speaker in the House of Assembly Madala Mhlanga visited Mabuza at the Matsapha Correctional Complex amid efforts to convince him to apologise to Mswati and be released.

The UN Working Group gave the Eswatini Government a six (6) months ultimatum from October 2025 to release Mabuza and Dube failing which, the matter will be escalated with higher structures of the United Nations, King Mswati’s Protocol Officer Khandlela Mdluli was part of the delegation that visited Bacede Mabuza last week.

Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube were arrested, charged with terrorism and subsequently convicted merely for demanding democracy in a country ruled by Mswati as an absolute Monarch.