MBABANE: Senator Themba Masuku, the Deputy Prime Minister(DPM),has accused Amnesty International of paying Kenyan citizens to protest against eSwatini.
This comes after Kenyans took to the streets of Narobi this week,demanding justice for human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, who was allegedly assassinated by King Mswati’s mercenaries.
Speaking to Channel Swazi TV on Thursday,the DPM said as government, they made a mistake by not enacting a law that will regulate Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
"Our mistake as a country is the absence of a policy or law that will regulate NGOs. There was a discussion before that NGOs receive money that they then use against the country. Amnesty International does not even have an office here and is not aware of the dynamics manifesting in the country.So,when Amnesty bribes people to turn against the country, it speaks to the non-regulation of NGOs, that’s why this NGO (Amnesty) is arrogant against us," said the eSwatini Deputy Prime Minister.
Efforts to seek a comment from Amnesty International proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
King Mswati’s government is under pressure from the international community amid the political unrest; dozens, including human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, have been killed since the unrest erupted.

Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku.