Mlungisi Makhanya, the 46-year-old leader of Eswatini's main opposition party, the People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), is fighting for his life after a suspected poisoning incident in Pretoria, South Africa. His party alleges a targeted assassination attempt, linking the attack to the Eswatini government.
Makhanya, who has been living in self-imposed exile in South Africa for the past two years due to fears for his safety following a crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Eswatini, was allegedly poisoned in the early hours of Tuesday morning at his Pretoria home.
Pudemo claims a young boy, acting as an agent, was responsible for the attack. The Swaziland News website reported that Makhanya was rushed to hospital under police escort and later admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he remains in a critical but stable condition.
According to reports, Makhanya himself informed police and medical personnel that he had been poisoned and robbed of his cell phones. In a press briefing on Wednesday, Pudemo's deputy president, Wandile Dludlu, revealed that an "extremely dangerous and fatal" pesticide poison was used in the attack.
"It is encouraging that the president has survived a day," Dludlu stated, adding, "It was an assassination attempt on the life of our leader."
The Eswatini government vehemently denies any involvement in the incident. Alpheous Nxumalo, an Eswatini spokesperson, issued a statement rejecting the accusations: "Government, through the law enforcement agencies – that adheres to a strict code of ethics and professionalism – only apprehend suspects and bring them to Justice, and they are brought to justice 'alive', not 'dead'," Nxumalo asserted.
Pudemo has appealed for international support to ensure Makhanya's safety and that of his family. The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), a group representing Swazi citizens living in South Africa, condemned the attack, calling it a "bold attack" and a "clear assassination attempt".
The SSN urged the South African government to take decisive action against Swazi state agents, whom they believe are targeting exiled pro-democracy activists fighting for freedom in Eswatini.
Makhanya's alleged poisoning comes ahead of planned protests next month, organised by opposition parties demanding multi-party elections in Eswatini. The current political system in the country, formerly known as Swaziland, allows independent candidates to stand for parliament but prohibits political parties from participating.
The incident highlights the ongoing political tensions in Eswatini. Opposition parties accuse security agents of killing numerous protesters who have blamed the country's lack of development on the current political system. In 2021, student-led protests, initially sparked by alleged police brutality, escalated into widespread calls for political reform.
Human Rights Watch reported at least 46 deaths during clashes between security forces and demonstrators, a figure disputed by the government, which claims the police were responding to violent attacks.
Makhanya's leadership of Pudemo, one of Eswatini's leading pro-democracy parties (theoretically allowed but barred from elections), places him squarely at the forefront of the struggle for political change. His alleged poisoning underscores the high stakes involved in this fight and the lengths to which some may go to suppress dissent.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of political activists and the broader human rights situation in Eswatini.
