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Eswatini
MBABANE – The Crown has outlined in summary how the men arrested for allegedly killing members of the security forces purportedly terrorised, robbed and murdered some of their victims.
Ncamiso Mabuyakhulu, who is a member of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Philani Sihlongonyane, a member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) and German Robert Dlamini, whose political affiliation is uncertain are currently behind bars.
They made their first remand hearing on Tuesday at the High Court. The court ordered that they be remanded in a Correctional facility as of yesterday after being taken to hospital since they complained of being tortured by the police.
Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane are facing 29 counts under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery and illegal possession of firearms and live rounds of ammunition. German features only in the six counts of contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1964.
In the composite summary of evidence attached to the indictment, the Crown stated how a member of Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), Nkosinathi Dlamini, who was attending a church service at Mahlabatsini in the Manzini Region, was shot allegedly by two men and later died in hospital.
Pretended
The incident happened on May 24, 2022. During the church service, two people, according to the Crown, arrived in the premises and requested the soldier’s son to call him from the church. They pretended to be looking for a flat to rent.
“When the deceased came out of the church, the two people shot him,” reads the summary of evidence.
Nkosinathi was rushed to hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.
On June 9, 2022, three armed men are alleged to have arrived at the parental home of Bonginkhosi Fana Ndzinisa. They found him in a veranda, according to the Crown, and ordered him to enter the house. Once inside, the men are alleged to have ordered his father, Fanalakhe, to give them his pistol, a 9mm Browning pistol with serial number 128982. They allegedly also took 12 rounds of ammunition and the gun.
“Fanalakhe Ndzinisa complied after having been assaulted while asking him as to where the soldier was. The three men also said; ‘Nine nikhetsa emasotja, nifuna ashaye bani’,” said the Crown. Bonginkhosi was allegedly ordered by the trio to douse the house with petrol and set it alight, but he refused. “The accused persons then went out and burnt a car belonging to Fanalakhe. The car was a silver grey Mazda Verisa registered TSD 944 AS. This incident happened at Sigwe in the Shiselweni Region.
Two game rangers, Khayelihle Zwane and Richard Ngwenya, were patrolling the farm at Nsubane in the Lubombo Region on July 6, 2022 when they heard a whistle behind them, said the Crown.
They are alleged to have seen two men who signalled to other rangers to stop the two men. The men are alleged to have informed the rangers that they were looking for a cow and wanted to look for it in the farm.
“One of the two men pulled out a gun from his trousers and shot at them and Khayelihle ran away and reported to Banele Msibi. Khayelihle found Richard Ngwenya with gunshot wounds and dead,” alleged the Crown.
Ngwenya’s R1rifle, according to the summary of evidence, and ammunition were allegedly taken by the first and second accused persons, Mabuzayakhulu and Sihlongonyane.
The summary of evidence includes the incident that happened at Nyakatfo High School, where the Head teacher, Mlungisi Kunene and others were kidnapped at the school on August 10, 2022. Kunene was with a security guard when, according to the Crown, three men arrived. The Crown stated that the accused persons, who were each armed with a pistol, allegedly pushed the head teacher.
“They were all armed with a pistol each and they all assaulted the head teacher with the pistols saying, ‘Nivuleleni ngeMsombuluko esikolweni, awumbambisi ngani, ushito commander kutsi akuvalwe tikolwa’ (you opened the school on Monday; why don’t you cooperate with the commander, who had ordered that schools be closed),” reads the summary of evidence. The Crown said Kunene went to another house where there were other teachers, a pupil, a security guard and an electrician, who were allegedly tortured. The Crown stated that the men threatened to kill them.
“They forced everyone to their cars and took the head teacher’s keys. They were driven to Nhlambeni, then Manzini Central, where they were dropped off. They were given the car and school keys. They took the head teacher’s cellphone, a Huawei Y6 valued at E2 500.
Ceremony
The Crown also said at Ngculwini in the Manzini Region, on August 12, 2022, a certain man was sitting in a Toyota van at a Mthembu homestead during a cleansing ceremony. Thulani Mthembu, who was a police officer, was said to have been occupying the driver’s seat. Two men, according to the Crown, arrived and demanded to be told the whereabouts of Thulani.
“They found him in the car and thereafter there were gunshots directed at him. They fired one shot towards the group of people who were next to the vehicle at the homestead and said ‘fus*ki.
“Thereafter, the two men vanished, leaving everyone shocked. When the deceased was checked he was bleeding through the nose. He was taken to hospital where he later died,” said the Crown.
Towards the end of September 2022, four armed men are alleged to have robbed a shop and bar at gunpoint. Money amounting to E9 000, a Samsung J2 cellphone valued at E1 700, a case of Castle Milk Stout beer and J&B Whisky worth E600 were taken. The items amounted to E11 564.
“The four men were carrying two pistols and two big firearms. The patrons were assaulted with snooker sticks and guns. They tried to rob *Sifiso and *Thami of their cars. They fired several shots,” further reads the summary of evidence. The incident happened on September 24, 2022.