MEDIA NOTICE – 21^st April 2011 

Southern African exiles are to picket the Dorchester Hotel in London next Tuesday 26^th April in protest at the visit to London by the Swazi king to attend the Royal Wedding.  King Mswati III – the world’s last remaining absolute ruler – has 13 wives but it is not known how many will be among the entourage of fifty joining him at one of London’s most expensive hotels. 

The protest is organized by the Swaziland Vigil which has been demonstrating outside the Swaziland High Commission in London in support of human rights and democracy in the impoverished country. The Swaziland Vigil co-ordinator Thobile Gwebu said ‘King Mswati is making our country a laughing stock but the brutal action taken against recent anti-government demonstrations shows how bad the situation in Swaziland really is. We would love it if the British government withdrew his invitation to attend the wedding because he is such a bad example to any young couple.’  

The Swazi protesters will be supported by members of the Zimbabwe Vigil who are unhappy at King Mswati’s support for fellow tyrant Mugabe. The Zimbabwe Vigil has been campaigning against human rights abuse and for democracy in Zimbabwe outside the Zimbabwe Embassy every Saturday since October 2002. And the protest is also supported by Action for Southern Africa, the successor to the Anti-apartheid Movement. See their press release: http://www.actsa.org/page-1223-Swaziland.html. 

Date:          Tuesday, 26^th April 2011 from 6 - 8 pm.
Venue:       Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London W1K 1QA. The protest will be located at the main entrance to the hotel on the public footway in Deanery Street W1 (The police ask that we do not obstruct the public footway or enter on to property owned by the Dorchester Hotel). 

Contact:     Thobile Gwebu / Fungayi Mabhunu 07746 552 597