The Communist Party of Swaziland has called for the establishment of a people’s defence militia to counter police brutality after a young man was shot dead in the street on Saturday.

The victim was shot four times in public view, including a bullet to the head, in the town of Nhlangano. Police claimed that he was dealing cannabis.

Armed police brutally attacked a protest in response to the killing, responding with tear gas.

The CPS said that it was sign that young people were being targeted by the state in response to the youth-led anti-government protests that started in June.

“Evidence shows that there was no intention to arrest him. The regime criminalises the youth of our country to justify the violence,” a party statement said.

The CPS called for the stepping-up of the protests that rocked Swaziland — now known as Eswatini — earlier this year, demanding the immediate resignation of the autocratic monarch King Mswati III.

The party warned that after killing more than 70 protesters in June following “Mswati’s shoot-to-kill order,” the government has no intent on restraint.

“It is evident that there is a well-oiled and determined unit within the state security forces committed to these barbaric killings in the name of keeping the dictatorship. 

“There is a need to take special course against this. These killings are deteriorating to a genocidal lifestyle of the regime. 

“We cannot fold our arms as if we have no power to end this. Let us build community self-defence units as a matter of urgency,” CPS general secretary Kenneth Kunene said.

The CPS called for a deepening of unity and solidarity along with protests and sabotage operations across the country. It proposes the building of community councils from which “the people will form defence units against the brutality of Mswati’s security forces.”