Lomahasha march: Chaos as cop’s gun goes off

LOMAHASHA – A gunshot mistakenly fired by a police officer caused a dramatic scene as over 2 000 youths went berserk and pelted stones at close to 20 armed security officers.

The incident took place before 3pm when the youth had gone to the Lomahasha, Police Station Commander, Philip Tsabedze, to demand responses on their demands yesterday.

The youth marched to the police station after the burial of Sifiso ‘ Mpostoli’ Masilela at the Lomahasha area.

Masilela was gunned down the past weekend allegedly by police officer Nkosinathi ‘ Twenty’ Dlamini, who was stationed at the Lomahasha Police Station.

The police officer has since been arrested and suspended from his work by National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini.

The youth had converged outside the police station waiting for their leader Siboniso Mkhabela to bring feedback on their responses.

Just a few minutes after informing the youth that the Lomahasha Station Commander, Tsabedze, has not given satisfactory responses, a gunshot went off and the youth ran helter- skelter in different directions.

After noticing that the police officers were not moving towards them, they started to hurl stones at the contingent of 20 officers, resulting in a chaotic moment that lasted over 30 minutes.

The youth started a fire with pallets retrieved from the markets situated 100 metres from the Lomahasha Border Gate.

Discipline

The youth leader, Mkhabela, tried to calm the youth and appealed for discipline. He was also supported in this intervention by President of the People’s United Democractic Movement ( PUDEMO) Mlungisi Makhanya.

Makhanya urged the youth to behave to ensure that the march was a success.

On another note, shops and the border gate were closed from midday around 2pm in fear of the youth.

Traffic was brought to a standstill for almost an hour.

Lomahasha Member of Parliament ( MP) Ndumiso Masimula apologised to the Masilela family for not being part of the funeral proceedings after attending to other pressing matters at KaShewula Umphakatsi.

Meanwhile, Mkhabela informed the youth that they would meet as leaders and plan what was the next step to be taken after the responses to their demands by the national commissioner of police were not satisfactory.

( Pics: Thokozani Mamba) A section of the youth marching to the graveyard with Sifiso ‘ Mpostoli’ Masilela’s coffin. ( R) Times of Eswatini Driver Bafana Mahlangu opening the boot of the car after he was instructed by a senior traffic officer based at the Siteki Police Station to do so.

The youth chanting political songs as they placed pallets and other rubble on the road. ( R) Lomahasha Youth Leader Siboniso Mkhabela opening the envelope with the responses from the National Commissioner of Police, William Dlamini, handed over by Lomahasha Police Station Commander Philip Tsabedze.

Lomahasha youth joined by their peers from other regions as they lit fire with pallets on the road just a few metres from the Lomahasha Police Station after chaos erupted yesterday afternoon. ( R) Police officers pictured at the Lomahasha Service Centre.