Mbabane – Former Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube’s public message on the day he walked out of prison under King Mswati III’s Royal Pardon in November 2025 was markedly different from remarks attributed to him in an alleged audio recording that surfaced in September 2026.
On November 5, 2025, Dube expressed gratitude to Their Majesties and His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) for his conditional release, saying he had been rehabilitated during his time in custody.
He also declared that he was not affiliated with any political organisation and expressed continued support for the Tinkhundla System of Government.
Dube further said the King did not have a problem with people holding different political ideas, but that the problem arose when individuals sought to overthrow the King from the Throne.
Those remarks followed his petition for mercy through the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, which resulted in his inclusion in the special royal pardon.
However, the alleged recording circulating in September 2026 presents a markedly different picture of Dube’s views.
In the recording, published by Swaziland News and attributed to Dube, the speaker is heard allegedly expressing happiness over the death of former Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala and saying he would organise a braai to mark the occasion.
He also allegedly accused the late Chief Justice of masterminding and orchestrating his arrest and that of former Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, as well as their subsequent convictions and imprisonment.
The recording has not been established by HMCS as authentic. On September 15, 2026, the correctional authority announced that it had launched a formal investigation to establish whether the recording was genuine, whether the remarks were made by Dube and whether they constituted a breach of his release conditions.
The conditions attached to Dube’s release were strict. They included a ban on political activity, engagement with the media, public speaking and social-media activity, as well as restrictions relating to his movement and supervision.
This means that if the investigation establishes that Dube made the alleged remarks and that they amount to prohibited political or public activity, the issue could have consequences for his conditional release.
HMCS, however, has not yet said that Dube has breached any condition. Instead, it has stressed that the recording must first be verified and that any decision must be based on credible, reliable and verifiable information.
The significance of the alleged audio therefore lies in the apparent contrast between Dube’s conduct and public position at the time of his release and the remarks now attributed to him.
At his release, Dube presented himself as rehabilitated, distanced himself from political organisations and declared his support for the Tinkhundla System.
The later recording, if authenticated and confirmed to have been made by Dube, could raise questions about whether his subsequent conduct remained within the boundaries imposed on him when he was granted conditional freedom.
HMCS Commissioner General Phindile LaMakhosini Dlamini had previously made clear that Dube’s release was conditional and subject to supervision. Amnesty International also reported that the November 5, 2025 release imposed strict restrictions on Dube’s political activity, speech and movement.
Dube was released after serving part of an 18-year sentence following his conviction on charges including terrorism, sedition and murder.
His release was therefore not an unconditional cancellation of his sentence. Rather, he was allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence outside prison under specified conditions.
That distinction is now central to the HMCS investigation.
If the recording is authenticated and the enquiry finds that Dube engaged in conduct prohibited by his release conditions, HMCS would then have to determine what action is permitted under the terms governing his conditional release.
For now, however, no breach has been established.
HMCS said the enquiry must be allowed to establish the facts before any conclusion is reached, and that the department would communicate its position once sufficient verified information was available.
The case has consequently placed renewed focus on the conditions under which Dube received his royal pardon and on the sharp difference between his public position on November 5, 2025, and the statements now attributed to him less than a year later.
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