Swazi police said that they are conducting raids on activists on the eve of a planned protest against King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch.

“People who are suspected to be behind the hostile events planned in the country are being raided, irrespective of their position,” said police commissioner Isaac Magagula.

“Everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise,” he told AFP.

“Right now we are conducting massive raids at places suspected of hiding material which is considered to be a threat to national security,” he said.

Barnes Dlamini, president of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, among the organisers of the demonstrations planned to start Tuesday, said his home was raided at the weekend and again before dawn Monday.

“They produced a warrant. They were looking for guns, explosives and any material within my house that would connect me to any terrorist act,” Dlamini said.

He said he was away in South Africa when the police first visited his home over the weekend, adding that they harassed his family. He said police did not find anything.

Four activists — Maxwell Dlamini, Sifiso Mabuzo, Themba Mabuza and Samkeliso Ginindza — have been reported missing after they were last seen being arrested at a roadblock near Manzini on Sunday night, their lawyer said.

“For now there is no confirmation that they have been detained.

They were last seen at a roadblock outside Mbabane,” said Mary Pais da Silva.

Swaziland Solidarity Network spokesman Lucky Lukhele said his organisation, an umbrella group of activists in exile in South Africa, condemned the “very unnecessary arrest of innocent citizens.” “Swazis are urged to continue with their task and keep the eye on the ball regardless of who gets arrested next. These arrests are meant to be distractions. Everything continues tomorrow as planned,” Lukhele said.

Unions are at the forefront of the protest calls because political parties are banned in Swaziland.

Last week the national organiser of the banned Swaziland Youth Congress, Mcolisi Ngcamphalala, said he was held and tortured by police for 24 hours.

Three days of protests are to be held from Tuesday in Swaziland’s largest city Manzini, said Vincent Ncongwane, secretary general of the Swaziland Federation of Labour.

Last week Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini declared the demonstrations illegal and warned that anyone who took part did so at their own risk.

Unions last month staged the largest protests seen in years, denouncing government efforts to cut civil servants’ salaries.

The protest call for Tuesday is backed by unions and student leaders, who accuse Mswati of bankrupting the state coffers while he finances his own lavish lifestyle and provides for his 13 wives.