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MANZINI – Chief Mfukama Mndzebele has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
The chief, whose real name is Nicodemus Mfanyana Mndzebele, appeared before Acting Judge David Khumalo where he was yesterday sentenced to nine years imprisonment without an option of a fine. Three years were wholly suspended on condition that he was not convicted of murder, attempted murder or culpable homicide.
The court also considered the time he spent at the police station while evading the attacks of Mkhitsini residents as part of his sentence. Worth noting is that the chief had spent about a year living in a tent at the police station while escaping the attacks of Mkhitsini residents who had reportedly threatened to kill him. In essence, the chief will get to spend about five years in prison.
This is the chief who was charged with culpable homicide for killing his nephew after shooting him at Mkhitsini on November 25 last year. This happened at a time when there was a long-standing dispute over fields which the chief was allegedly given by his nephew’s grandmother to farm for a certain period of time, as they reportedly belonged to the nephew’s father.
Meanwhile, during mitigation, the chief said he was 78 years old and married through Swazi Law and Custom. He told the court that he had 14 children. Chief Mfukama submitted that before his arrest, he was employed at the Swazi National Court as a Court president. He further mentioned that within two hours after the shooting incident, a group of people torched his homestead and houses belonging to his children. In total, he said eight houses were burnt.
The chief elaborated that four of his goats and a pig were stolen. He brought it to the attention of the court that 208 of his chickens and those of his children, 10 maize tanks, as well as water tanks were taken.
He said his homes were torched, including two cars. The chief revealed that two motorbikes belonging to his son who is a soldier and a tree cutter were taken. “I have 65 dependents with whom I stay at the police station and 24 of these are schoolgoing. They are my grandchildren and I take care of them because their parents have stopped working since the incident,” the chief mitigated.
He went on to say he felt like a refugee and it was as though he was not a Swati citizen as he slept in a room inside the court. “I fear going back to Mkhitsini because the people are baying for my blood, they want me dead. My family and I have nothing except for things that are handed to us,” he submitted.