KaLiba scuffle: Shot CPS member arrested, charged with 7 counts
NHLANGANO - Communist Party Of Swaziland (CPS) member, Mvuselelo Mkhabela (21), has been arrested by the police and charged with seven counts.
Mkhabela is the same man who was engaged in a scuffle with a police officer at KaLiba and got shot in the lower part of his leg. This was during the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) civic and voter education exercise, at the chiefdom.
The youth of the area disturbed the voter education exercise after they demanded answers on why they were supposed to engage about the elections because their Member of Parliament (MP), Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, was arrested for voicing out his views.
Questioned
They questioned the EBC team after the officers had told the constituents in attendance that they were supposed to choose someone who would represent them and their views in Parliament.
After the voter education exercise was disturbed, the youth went to block the road leading to the chiefdom and pelted police cars with stones. It was then that Mkhabela was said to have been involved in a scuffle with a police officer as he tried to grab his (police) gun and ended up getting shot.
Mkhabela was later taken to Hlatikhulu Government Hospital, where he was admitted, only to disappear before he was even attended to.
He disappeared with the bullet lodged in his body after police checked on him twice at the hospital.
He was reportedly arrested around Kwaluseni during another EBC exercise, after being noticed as he made a submission during the exercise. According to the charge sheet, Mkhabela is facing seven charges; four of which are common assault, as he is said to have assaulted four police officers. The fifth charge is that of malicious injury to property, in that on the same day, he damaged a white double cab Isuzu motor vehicle registered GSD 243 PO valued at E501 802. 70. The property, according to the charge sheet, belonged to the Eswatini Government and was in lawful possession of 5041 Detective Constable Mfanakathina Ngwenya, who was executing his duties at KaLiba during EBC voter exercise.
Charged
Mkhabela was further charged for contravening the Crimes Act No:6 of 1889, as he was said to have been found with a dangerous weapon identified to be a knife last Saturday April 15, 2023 around Matsapha in the Manzini Region. The last count is that of escaping from Hlatikhulu Government Hospital, while he was in lawful custody on the same day of the KaLiba incident, having been taken to the hospital. He was charged for contravening the Criminal Procedure and EvidenceAct of 1938. Initially, Mkhabela was expected to appear at the High Court on Tuesday, but after deliberations, the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) Office saw no reason for him to, hence he was sent back to the Shiselweni Region. He appeared at the Shiselweni Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he was remanded in custody until April 27, 2023, pending a directive from the DPP regarding jurisdiction.