Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, a former Eswatini Member of Parliament (MP), was unsuccessful in his court application to continue receiving takeaways while serving 25 years in prison.
Mabuza sought relief at the High Court of Eswatini to continue receiving food — like KFC, Nando’s, Galito’s and pizza — at his own expense and to not eat prison food.
According to the eSwatini-based publication, Swaziland News, Mabuza is serving 25 years after he was arrested in July 2021, with former MP, Mthandeni Dube, who was sentenced to 18 years.
They were charged with inciting violence after advocating for reforms to the country’s system of governance which affords King Mswati absolute power.
The publication said inmates were allowed to receive meals from outside the prison until they were convicted, however, once convicted they must eat food provided by the prison.
The publication added that sometime after their arrest, Dube decided to stop having his own meals and began eating food provided by Matsapha Correctional Services where they are being held.
However, Mabuza continued with his takeaways brought by his relatives until he was sentenced on July 25, 2024.
It was reported that in his application Mabuza argued that a doctor had prescribed a special diet for him due to his health.
His argument was quickly dismissed by the commissioner general who stated that no doctor could prescribe fast food to a patient.
Having lost the application, Mabuza is now forced to continue with the correction service diet.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the sentencing of Mabuza and Dube was a stark reminder of the lack of accountability and justice for the serious violations committed by law enforcement in and around the 2021 protests.
“The jailing of two politically dissenting voices in a country where the judiciary is neither impartial nor independent is another mark against Eswatini’s already deteriorating human rights record,” HRW said.
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