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“Ngitakwenta siNtuthuko Mine”.
These words are said to have been uttered by Nkabemnyama Thwala (73) of Mantabeni when allegedly threatening his neighbour, Nomsa Kemp (62), for stopping his hired labourers, who were cultivating a certain piece of land.
When he appeared at the Mbabane National Court before Court President Two Minutes Shongwe, Thwala initially denied saying such words to Kemp. This was after the court had condemned the utterances in light of the rate of violent deaths in the country.
Kemp told the court that the accused person was fighting her over a piece of land she received from the Mantabeni Royal Kraal in 1998. She said in November 29, 2022, while sitting at her home, she saw certain people sent by the accused person coming to cultivate the piece of land he claimed was his father’s inheritance.
She said to try and prevent such from happening, she and her children told the hired people to stop the work because they were in the wrong territory. “Mantabeni Royal Kraal as well as the national court, had issued a judgment forbidding Thwala from cultivating my piece of land but he wouldn’t listen. I don’t know why he defied all these rulings,” she said.
Meanwhile, Thwala is said to have rushed to Kemp’s homestead to enquire from her, on why she had stopped his hired people from cultivating the disputed piece of land. She said upon arrival, the accused person told her that the land was his father’s inheritance and said her failure to allow her to till the piece of land, would result in serious consequences.
“Thwala told me in the face that utawungenta siNtuthuko yena for stopping him from cultivating the portion of land which was within her compound. I was extremely shocked by such words,” narrated Kemp.
Thwala, who stands accused of uttering serious threats against Kemp first denied and said: “I plead guilty and not guilty at the same time regarding the matter I am facing today. I didn’t say I will kill her. The court president then asked him to clarify what he meant when he said
In his response, Thwala told the court that Ntuthuko had a conflict with certain people over his own piece of land, where he was first attacked, resulting in his retaliation. “To stop my donkeys from tilling that piece of land is similar to those people that quarrelled with Ntuthuko over a piece of land. I was disappointed by her actions. It was not my intention to speak in such a manner, since I was making a parable,” said the accused.
Land
Furthermore, the accused person told the court that all the decisions made by the Royal Kraal, as well as the national court, were not satisfactory to him, as he did not get the piece of land he wanted. Thwala’s words were condemned by Shongwe, who reminded him of recent incidents where people were being killed mysteriously. He said everyone was aware of what Ntuntuko did.
The court president said recently, His Majesty King Mswati III stated that the issue of brutal killings in the country must come to an end. He said it was in that regard that they were against Thwala’s sentiments against Kemp. “We are supposed to live in peace with each other and refrain from starting wars. The King is against any form of violence in the country,” said Shongwe.
He went further and condemned the accused person for taking the law into his hands, despite the judgments issued by the Royal Kraal and the national court. According to Shongwe, the accused person was supposed to rush to Ludzidzini if he was not satisfied with the decision taken. The accused person was then sentenced to 10 months imprisonment with an option to pay fine of E1 000.
JOHANNESBURG - The State of the Nation Address (SONA) will take place tomorrow evening and many expect the proceedings to be interrupted, as became the norm during former president Jacob Zuma’s addresses.
During a press briefing yesterday, DA leader John Steenhuisen said: “South Africans are tired of disruption. They’re wanting to see some progress on delivery. And they’re going to be looking at SONA to try to find some hope that there is going to be a way out of this.
“International investors are on the verge of writing South Africa off over the load shedding crisis, over corruption and the loss of confidence in the president after Phala Phala.
Building
“The last thing we need to show to the rest of the world is a Parliament that’s not in the building where it should be because it burnt down and hasn’t been repaired in a year, and where you are going to have scenes of brawling and fighting. That’s not a country at work. That’s a country falling apart,” said Steenhuisen.
The DA’s National Spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube reiterated that the party will respect the proceedings and hear the president out. “We won’t be taking part in the glitz and glam of the red carpet and we won’t interrupt the president,” she said.