PUDEMO Statement on the Assassination of Dr. G Mkhumane

THE STATEMENT
FROM THE PEOPLES UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF OUR DEPUTY PRESIDENT, COMRADE DR. GABRIEL THANDOKUHLE MKHUMANE.
09th APRIL 2008

The peoples President, comrade Mario T. Masuku and the entire National Executive Committee mourn the demise of the Movement's Deputy President, Comrade Dr. Gabriel Thandokuhle Mkhumane, who was assassinated a week ago in Nelspruit, the Republic of South Africa.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the late comrade's wife, Zoraida, his two sons Lizwi and Lizo, to his mother, Gogo Shongwe, members of both families, members of staff at the Themba Hospital, PUDEMO and all her structures and all members of the mass democratic movement in Swaziland and beyond.

We have all lost a son, a father, husband, brother, a friend and companion, a humble and loving, hard working man that will be irreplaceable. PUDEMO has lost a father figure, a leader and a revolutionary of unequalled proportions. The Comrade was a down-to-earth people's man who had, as his second love, the liberation of the oppressed masses of our country, Swaziland. We have lost a committed visionary and strategic leader who feared nobody but the people he so honestly, loyally and constantly served all the time.

The comrade would still be alive had the royalist regime in Swaziland respected the political rights and determination of the country's citizens, and he would not have skipped the country into exile. PUDEMO condemns the callous, ruthless and self-centered cold blooded assassin who took away the life of a people's chosen leader in such a manner. We implore that the local Police Services to leave no stone unturned and track and apprehend this perpetrator and let the law take its course.

We are not deaf and blind to the visits in recent years to the deceased's home by the Swaziland secret police personnel, who confronted Gogo Shongwe, enquiring and intimidating her about the Comrade and eventually vowed that he would come back home only as a dead man. This wish by the state has now been fulfilled, and should members of the organization, the poor and helpless people of Swaziland sit down and lick the wounds?

In spite of this temporary setback, PUDEMO remains focused on the national democratic revolution and the liberation of the masses of our country from the quagmire and crisis into which the royalist tinkhundla regime has immersed our country. We now even owe to our fallen leader to take the torch with all our pillars of the struggle, for the tree of liberation has been watered by his blood.

PUDEMO humbly extends her comradely appreciation to those countries that have accepted and accommodated our members in exile, and we acknowledge the roles played by our allies particularly in the neighboring states. Their international solidarity is of necessity at this particular phase of our struggle as we intensify the call for a democratic Swaziland, and more of our members may seek political shelter in these countries in the not so distant future.

There will be a memorial service on Friday, the 11th April at 1300hrs at the Agricultural Hall, Nelspruit followed by a night vigil at the Rugby Stadium from 2100hrs until the early morning, the funeral commences from the stadium at 0700hrs and then we proceed to the Rocksdrift Cemetery in Nelspruit.

Building a Popular Movement for sustained liberation struggle.

Issued By the National Executive committee of [PUDEMO Swaziland]
For more information contact
Mario Masuku- PUDEMO-President
Cell: +268 608 3338 or

Sonkhe Dlamini [PUDEMO International Secretary Based in RSA]
Cell: 27-82 923 1401