Wild goose chase for supposed kidnapped cop

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Recent instances were security officers were kidnapped and shot dead:

Warder, Mbongiseni Mthayi Dlamini, who was executed after being kidnapped, tortured and forced to record a video with a political message on Thursday evening by unknown gunmen. He was discovered on November 4, 2022 with a gunshot wound on the head in a forest at Lwandle.

At the time, it was reported that Dlamini went inside his government flat and left his coat in the sitting room before he left the house and went to the nearest shop to buy his favourite cigarette. Dlamini, who was still clad in his uniform, went back after buying the cigarette but unfortunately, unknown men who were armed with guns kidnapped him. The sources revealed that he was then forced into a car which sped off on the road towards Gundvwini area in the Manzini Region.

A warder was shot dead not long after two police officers were killed in cold blood in broad daylight on Tuesday. Around midnight, the warder was abducted from his workstation at the Sidwashini Correctional Facility and found in a forest near Ngwenya with gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

were roped in, they quickly went into action to search for the missing police officer. About 14 police officers armed with rifles were part of the search.

According to some police officers who will not be mentioned for ethical reasons because they are not permitted to speak on the record, they moved from one bar to another. As the police officers were searching in the bars, some of the patrons were not happy about this as they thought the police were ordering them to close. Some of the bars in Pigg’s Peak include Jazz Time, Pholane, The Club and also His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) bar.

It is alleged the search continued throughout the night by police officers, fearing that their colleague had been kidnapped.

Some of the members of the public said he was taken by a vehicle similar to the vans used by police officers, sparking fear that he had been kidnapped.

cellphone

It is also alleged that the situation was worsened when he would not be reached on his cellphone. However, at around 3am, his cellphone was called and this time, it rang but there was no answer. Later, at around 6am, it turned out that while the officers were busy searching for him, he was inside his house, fast asleep. Some police officers stated that when they initially searched his house, at the police camp, he was not there.

His colleagues, who did not want to be mentioned, said they were relieved that he was safe. “We were worried that maybe he was harmed,” they said.

The police officer was not available for comment on the matter.

The Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed that the officer was found safe. She also confirmed that the police officers had been searching for him after concerns from residents that they saw the officer being kidnapped.

*Not real name.