Mlungisi Makhanya

On 24 April 2014 Makhanya was arrested and charged for giving support to a proscribed terrorist entity, the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), chanting 'terrorist slogans', wearing white T-shirts with PUDEMO written on it, wearing red and black PUDEMO berets, and reflecting 'terrorist demands' at the back.^[7] This was after a protest outside the Mbabane High Court during the 2014 trial of human rights lawyer and former secretary general of PUDEMO Thulani Maseko.^[8][9][10] On 29 August 2014 Mlungisi together with Thulani Maseko, Mario Masuku, Maxwell Dlamini and others successfully challenged the constitutionality of the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938 and the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008, which were used to arrest and charge him.^[11][12][13] The state however appealed the decision of the High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the Sedition and Subversive Activities and Suppression of Terrorism acts.^[14][15]

On 20 September 2022 he survived an arson attack on his home with a hand grenade.^[16][17][18] The damage to the property is estimated at E1.5 million.^[19] The attack was condemned by South African political parties and trade unions including the Economic Freedom Fighters, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, Amnesty International and SouthernDefenders.^[20][21][22] The Tibiyo Taka Ngwane owned newspaper, the Eswatini Observer labelled the arson attack an attack of convenience and characterized the accusation of the state for the attack as nonsensical.^[23]