Shots fired as intruders invade deputy NATCOM’s home
MBABANE - Police batons, a national identity document and a chain with a padlock, were left behind when four people fled from heavy gunfire at the home of the Deputy National Commissioner of Police, Lydia Dlamini.
The quartet is said to have allegedly drove past the homestead of the deputy national commissioner several times on Monday night, before eventually parking not far from the gate of Dlamini’s place of residence in the wee hours of yesterday morning.
Impeccable sources informed this publication that after parking the vehicle, the quartet alighted and went towards the gate of the homestead. It was said when they were approaching the gate, one of them jumped over the fence into the compound while the trio supposedly stood by the gate.
However, their intentions were thwarted when gunshots were fired from afar. The gunshots were said to have been fired by a relative of Dlamini whom she had communicated with minutes earlier about the intrusion.
The impeccable sources claimed that Dlamini had noticed the Mazda Demio sedan when it drove past her home several times before eventually parking in close proximity to the gate of the compound, and she suspected that something was wrong.
As a result, they said she reported about the car to a relative when she called earlier on to inform him that she was not feeling well.
It was gathered that the relative was preparing to attend to Dlamini, when he received another call from the deputy national commissioner, informing him that there was a sedan parked in close proximity of her compound’s gate and there were people who had alighted from it and were approaching her gate.
It was gathered that the relative responded promptly to the distress call as he resides in the same township as the deputy NATCOM.
Disturbing
The impeccable sources claimed that as the relative drove closer to Dlamini’s compound, he started firing gunshots aimed at disturbing the quartet in whatever plan they had in mind.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Dlamini had also contacted the Manzini Police Station to relay what was happening at her homestead. The sources claimed that the police also responded promptly to the call.
They were said to have been driving in white Isuzu double cab bakkies which did not blare the pulse wail of a siren synonymous with their blue lights.
As the relative continued to fire more shots, which supposedly took the quartet by surprise, they (unknown men) are said to have fled the scene. They were said to have fled towards a river, which is not more than a kilometre away from the home of the deputy NATCOM and disappeared into the thick of the night.
The impeccable sources claimed that as the threat had been diffused, the relative returned to the homestead wherein he found the vehicle that was used by the four men.
The sedan was reportedly found with the key in its ignition switch and idling. Inside the vehicle, batons resembling those used by officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) were reportedly found. Also in the car, a national identity document of an adult male liSwati was found.
The individual identified in the national document is said to be known to the police. In fact, it was said that the identity document belonged to one of their own. Furthermore, it was gathered that within the deputy NATCOM’s homestead, foreign items; a chain and a padlock were found.
Later on, the impeccable sources claimed that the deputy NATCOM recorded a statement with the police.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector, Nosipho Mnguni, confirmed the trespassing incident. She said four men were seen by family members who woke up after noticing some activity outside the