‘Stone throwers’ damage 7 cars, injure motorists
MBABANE – Four people were left injured and cars damaged when unknown people pelted them with stones while driving along the MR3 connecting Manzini with Mafutseni.
The motive of the attack remains unknown, as victims have not ruled out the possibility that it is part of the ongoing protests for political change. This is the same spot where protesters poured oil to prevent people from going to work in August after the High Court had denied bail application for Members of Parliament (MPs) Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube.
In the recent attack, there were concerns with the revelations that the motorists were not robbed, despite having stopped after rocks landed on their windscreens. Also, the stones were thrown at different intervals within a space of an hour.
Manzini police have, as part of their evidence, the stones that were thrown by the unknown people.
One of the victims, Charles Ndlovu said he was driving towards Manzini from the direction of Mafutseni at about 9pm.
He said the stone thrower was perched above the new highway bridge.
“As I drove by, unsuspecting that anything could happen, in the split of a second, a stone pierced my windscreen and landed on my nose and eyes. The way it happened so fast, I thought I had suffered a stroke, and drove slowly until I was near the Rest Camp, where I parked by the roadside. It was then that I started recollecting my thoughts and realised that I had been attacked,” Ndlovu said. He said he bled profusely from his nostrils and the stone that pierced his windscreen was on his laps.
“I tried to signal other motorists for help, and one stopped. I asked him to assist me by leading me to the Manzini Police Station because my vision had already been impaired,” he said.
Ndlovu said it was at the police station that he discovered there were six other similar cases in which the stone throwers had targeted people along the same road.
The victims submitted the stones to the police where they also reported that they had been attacked but not robbed.
He said three of those who were attacked had also been injured on the face.
Ndlovu was subsequently admitted to The Clinic in Manzini, where he underwent surgery.
He said his chin and nose had suffered lacerations, and was informed he would also need extra medical attention in Mbabane.
Asked what he thought could be the cause of the attack, he said he had no idea, save for that it happened in the midst of the political unrest.
“Someone told me that they had promised on social media to intensify the fight for democratic changes on that day. I personally did not see that. Also, the fact that previously, oil had been poured in that exact spot raises suspicions,” he said.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident and said police were investigating the at
tack on six cars by stone thrower(s).
“At the moment we have not made any arrest, but the matter is under investigation,” she said.
Thantaza Silolo of the Swaziland People’s Front said the incident was unfortunate and should not be associated with the fight for political change.
Darkness
“When we are in a struggle for change we do our work in broad daylight and we sing songs loudly in a peaceful manner. We do not do things in the cloak of darkness as this issue happened,” he said.
Silolo said his suspicion was that this was the work of drunkards.
“Comrades cannot do such a thing because they could possible hurt their own comrades in the act,” he said.
Silolo said he also did not want to dismiss the idea of security forces who commit acts of violence so that people may hate the movement for political change, assuming it is based on senseless violence.
“Even those who have been said to be shooting police cars should not be associated with comrades. It could be anyone,” he said.
Referring
He was referring to incidents in which unknown people shot police cars as they drove along the country’s roads.
No police officer had been wounded though.
Several cases of stone throwing are not uncommon in neighbouring South Africa where the perpetrators aim to rob motorists of their personal belongings.
In the neighbouring State, the perpetrators throw the stones so that the car could cause an accident. They then rush to search the injured victims of their belongings.