Cops: German housed underground
MBABANE - German Robert Dlamini reportedly made his home and houses a haven for criminal activities (linked to the political turmoil in the country) and also participated fully in same.
It is further alleged that it was at his place of abode where some members of the underground forces would go to rest after having caused a reign of terror at different parts of the country before planning out their next move.
German, according to the police, offered his home and houses for the conducting of unlawful operations in Eswatini and his place of abode became a base for them.
Opposing
The allegations are contained in an answering affidavit where the police are vigorously opposing German’s bail application.
He was arrested together with a member of Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) Ncamiso Mabuyakhulu, who is his nephew.
He was charged with the murder of two police officers and being found in possession of firearms. In his bail application, he accused Mabuyakhulu of being the one who brought the firearms to his homestead. The third accused person is Philani Sihlongonyane, who is a member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO). Together, they face a total of 29 charges. The Crown, in its opposing papers, described German and his co-accused as people who were dangerous and clearly not intimidated by the police.
Charges
The charges they are facing include the murder of State security officers, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery and malicious injury to property. German appears in five counts of contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act and two of the murder of two traffic police officers.
Some of the firearms in question are two guns that were used in the murder of the pair of traffic police officers who were on duty near Grand Valley in Manzini.
The officers are Sifiso Ivin Mthembu and Sonnyboy Dlamini. They were killed on October 18, 2022. The firearms allegedly used in the murder of the officers were an R4 rifle and R1 rifle. According to the police, it was the same firearms that were used in the murder of a soldier at Mahlabatsini, murder of a game ranger at Nsubane Farm, murder of police officer Thulani Mthembu at Ngculwini and during the kidnaping and robbery of a head teacher at Nyakatfo High School, together with three staff members.
Justice
In his opposing papers, Senior Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane informed the court that releasing German would not be in the interest of justice as he was a flight risk.
“I do humbly state that, for the court to appreciate what prevails in this bail application, I have to trace the matrix of the matter in detail as it is one-of-a-kind where the accused persons were in a frolic of trying to unlawfully bring regime change in Eswatini using violence, in the process killing innocent citizens, burning structures and worse, killing State security agents after robbing them of State firearms,” submitted the senior investigator. In his papers, Clement outlined different events where people were killed, robbed and how properties were burnt purportedly by German and his co-accused who were acting with others who are currently at large.
Arrested
He told the court that on November 21, 2022, Mabuyakhulu and Philani were arrested at Mkhondvo in a joint operation by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF). The duo, according to the investigator, were travelling in a Honda Fit sedan. He brought it to the attention of the court that one of the suspects escaped to South Africa after abandoning the motor vehicle they were travelling in around Nkwene during a hot pursuit