§ 5. Mr. Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the circumstances which led to the arrest of Mr. G. Dhlamini, General Secretary of the Swaziland Progressive Party, at Mbabene on 12th April, 1963.
§ Mr. FisherMr. Dhlamini was arrested and charged on 5th April with holding a meeting without permission, incitement to public violence and resisting arrest. The charge of incitement has since been withdrawn. Mr. Dhlamini was remanded on bail on the other two charges until 29th April. I have not yet been informed of the result of the trial.
§ Mr. BrockwayIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the situation in Swaziland is now very critical, that it is very desirable that there should not be events of this character, that this was a peaceful meeting of traders and market women who were asking for greater facilities for selling their goods and that for the first time in the history of Swaziland the police used batons and tear gas against a crowd? Will he try to take steps to prevent this kind of explosive situation developing in this territory?
§ Mr. FisherI agree that tear smoke was certainly used to disperse the crowd, which was asked to disperse but which refused to do so. Tear gas was used, but I must correct the hon. Member in the other part of the supplementary question, because no use was made of batons. The police did not beat up the people or use any other strong-arm methods at all. I have especially asked for this information and this is what I have been told.