WHO’LL WANT TO HARM ‘COMMANDER’?

Just as mystifying as the unheralded capture of former policeman, Thabo Kunene, allegedly while illegally crossing into the kingdom from South Africa, was government’s announcement from the blue - just a week after his apprehension - that it had uncovered a plot to kill the self-confessed ‘commander’ of the international solidarity forces, allegedly responsible for the sporadic killings of members of the security forces in the wake of the State-sponsored slaughter of tens of multiparty democracy activists, during and in the aftermath of the June 2021 protests in pursuit of that objective.

Kunene has since then been formally charged, alongside one Sibusiso Nkomonye, under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, including murder and attempted murder. In a statement issued not so long ago by government’s spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo, the reasoning behind the plot to eliminate Kunene was to manipulate the information that Kunene was divulging under interrogation by law enforcement agencies. But why should the government be pre-emptive and issue such a statement?

Staging

Therein is the mystery because if a threat existed, all it required was for government to do what it ought to do without staging a public relations cash-in about the threat. It was uncanny and uncalled for unless it was driven by a hidden agenda. It cannot be coincidental that government’s allegation of a mortal threat against Kunene came just after authorities announced that Kunene and his co-accused were not allowed visitors in the name of security. What is being hidden? It is by no means a coincidence too that three days, or so, after government had concocted the alleged plot against Kunene, the suspects divulged in court that they were being tortured and needed to be taken to hospital. So, was the threat internal from those charged with their custody while awaiting trial? As with the alleged vicious assault of Members of Parliament (MPs) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza (Hosea) and Mthandeni Dube (Ngwempisi) while under the custody of Correctional Services, this was routinely denied by the department, claiming that Kunene and Nkomonye were safe under their care. The department had undertaken to investigate itself in the matter of the assault, allegedly by balaclava clad correctional services officers, of the two MPs but to date there is no report of this investigation.

Project

As I see it, government’s decision to publicly divulge findings of its intelligence – is certainly not meant to publicly project it as caring and humane. Rather it was devised for sinister motives because, if truth be told, such a statement is out of place and somewhat ominous. It is as if government wanted to prepare the public for something adverse regarding the health and well-being of Kunene, possibly including his co-accused. This chain of thinking is informed by the mystery surrounding their capture, which, according to National Police Commissioner William Tsitsibala Dlamini, was carried out by police who were patrolling the borderline with South Africa, a task that is usually under the purview of the army. This raises the suspicion that the duo were kidnapped from South Africa, an act that could have far reaching consequences apropos relations between the neighbouring nations. Additionally, it could derail any successful prosecution of the duo on the basis of illegality, should it be established that they were indeed kidnapped and brought into the kingdom illegally. A State violating another State’s territorial integrity is a heinous crime not just in diplomatic terms but as well as in international law. In this respect, only Kunene and his co-accused have evidence of where and how they were captured. But that evidence would permanently be buried should Kunene and his co-accused get killed by the alleged conspirators as claimed by government intelligence.

Avert

Consequently, the death of Kunene and his co-accused would avert a very public diplomatic row with neighbouring South Africa that, up to now, has been walking on eggs in responding to the calls for political change in Eswatini.The sum total is that this government has lost trust with some emaSwati, who subscribe to social justice and the rule of law. If and when something happens to Kunene we must not look elsewhere but call on government to account because it carries the responsibility to ensure his safety and security.

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